Novo Nordisk, HITLAB announce finalists for diabetes solution challenge

Five companies are close to winning $75,000 from the 2017 HITLAB World Cup of Voice-Activated Technology in Diabetes presented by Novo Nordisk. The Plainsboro, N.J.-based Novo Nordisk and innovation and teaching lab HITLAB launched the competition on Aug. 25, looking to find the best original ideas to help patients with Type 2 diabetes through improved healthcare access, delivery and outcomes, the companies said.

"The finalist pool represents the most innovative thinking in digital health, specifically as it relates to voice-activated technology," HITLAB deputy director of ideation Margaret Griffin said. “The concepts presented will unequivocally impact the lives of people living with type 2 diabetes, and their disease management.”

The finalists are Lighthouse Voice, an Amazon Echo app for patients with diabetes receiving chronic care management through Lighthouse, powered by the American Diabetes Association;Palette, a smart placemat that tracks a meal’s nutrition and sends the data to a patient’s physician; ProofWork, a voice-activated blockchain ecosystem; My Diabetes Coach by macadamian, a care management solution that helps patients track their blood glucose and answer common questions; and T2D2, a virtual nutrition assistant.

“Novo Nordisk is excited about the voice-activated technologies that have been submitted as part of the 2017 HITLAB World Cup of Voice-Activated Technology in Diabetes contest,” Novo Nordisk senior director of patient-centric marketing and digital health Amy West said. “The five finalists represent ideas that could truly shape the experience of living with diabetes, and we look forward to the final pitches taking place at the Innovators Summit: New York.”

The finalists will pitch their products at the HITLAB Innovators Summit, which will be held on the Columbia University Campus Nov. 28 through 30.