ATREON awarded first InnoDIGITAL grant

ATREON is the first startup to benefit from PACTT’s new InnoDIGITAL programme, worth CHF 40’000, for the development of an innovative monitoring and management tool for patients suffering from inflammatory arthritis.

Earlier this year, ATREON and the PACTT (Technology Transfer Office of the CHUV and UNIL) put in place the licensing terms for the patent family covering the DETECTRA technology. This innovative telemonitoring system for patients suffering from arthritis was developed in the rheumatology department of the CHUV under the direction of Professor Thomas Hügle.

The project is now in the testing and validation phase, with the aim of developing a tool for monitoring and managing patients suffering from inflammatory arthritis using remote monitoring specific to DETECTRA technology.

Contacted by startupticker.ch editorial team, Marc Blanchard, Project Manager at the CHUV, explained that the InnoSTEP DIGITAL grant of CHF 40’000 will enable DETECTRA’s development to be accelerated. In particular, the funds will be used to launch a prototype of the DETECTRA system that is compliant and ready for marketing.

They will also be used to draw up the documentation required to ensure the system’s compliance, with a view to its future submission for regulatory approval. Finally, it is planned to validate the documentation relating to the terms and conditions of use of the system and to launch the first pilot tests with the prototype.

Towards validation in clinical trials

As the project leader explains, the next steps are to test and validate the DETECTRA technology for monitoring inflammatory arthritis activity and the associated patient management system in clinical trials. The team aims to gather enough data during this pilot phase to prepare a pivotal study for regulatory agencies by the end of 2025 – ultimately enabling the system to be marketed.

The digital health start-up ATREON is based in the Lake Geneva region. Four full-time equivalents are working on the DETECTRA project, which benefits from the support of various institutional and private entities (CHUV, UNIL, EPFL, Silicom, Appik Studio, Favre Fiduciaire, TAZ, etc.). The development of the DETECTRA project is also financed by an Innosuisse grant obtained in March 2024 with the CHUV as a research partner. As part of Innosuisse’s Core Coaching Program, the team benefits from the support of specialists such as Marco Rüedi.

Supporting digital innovations in healthcare

In any case, PACTT is very enthusiastic about ATREON’s support: ‘As new medical technologies continue to revolutionise medicine, the role played by digital health is becoming increasingly important. From the outset, PACTT has supported the start-up Atreon, which is a remarkable example of the immense potential of artificial intelligence in the service of patient health. ATREON embodies innovation and carries the future of this new era in medicine. It is a privilege for us to contribute to its success and to participate in the positive impact of its developments on the evolution of medicine’ say Alberto Schena and Florence Guth.

Launched in early 2024, the InnoDIGITAL programme aims to facilitate the transformation of digital innovations originating from UNIL or the CHUV into products that can benefit the general public. To achieve this, the programme can provide financial support for the creation of a digital start-up (InnoTREK Digital), or fund proofs of concept or digital prototypes, developing software for future commercialisation (InnoSTEP Digital).

Source: startupticker.ch – Eugène Schön