RealizedCare, a pioneering force in digital therapeutics (DTx) experiences, and Fern Health, a virtual chronic pain management program, have announced the signing of an agreement to merge their businesses and create a new digital care management solution for chronic pain. Pharmaceutical company Grünenthal, the parent company of Fern Health, has partnered with RealizedCare as a strategic investor.
RealizedCare will combine DTx with traditional wraparound services to unlock value-based chronic pain management at scale. The solution will enable members and patients to be guided through a personalized care journey, receive digital interventions, and connect to a supportive community of those with lived experience of chronic pain.
“We’ve spent the last five years building, perfecting and validating evidence-based, immersive, digital therapeutics designed to address fear and pain,” said Aaron Gani, founder and CEO of BehaVR and CEO of RealizedCare. “Through this new offering, we will unlock the power of those interventions to scale personalized care to individuals impacted by chronic pain in a way that prioritizes outcomes, and offers the integrated support needed to manage these symptoms effectively.”
Chronic pain impacts an estimated 52 million adults in the United States and drives an estimated $261 billion to $300 billion in direct healthcare costs per year. RealizedCare’s suite of clinically validated therapeutics includes treatments across the spectrum of mental and behavioral conditions, including treatments for serious mental illness. In multiple randomized controlled trials, patients who previously experienced BehaVR’s PNE (Pain Neuroscience Education) VR program had 2 ½ times greater likelihood of a clinically significant reduction in disability, as well as 20 percent improvements in pain catastrophizing.
Gabriel Baertschi, CEO of Grünenthal, commented: “Chronic pain is on the rise globally and the demand for holistic, multi-modal care via digital solutions is growing. By positioning Fern Health at this nexus, we have developed truly innovative solutions for those who suffer from chronic pain and partnered with leading health services in the US. Through this merger, we will be able to extend the reach and impact of multi-modal digital health solutions to more people living with chronic pain.”
RealizedCare and Fern Health have merged their businesses to create a new digital care management solution for chronic pain. Pharmaceutical company Grünenthal has partnered with RealizedCare as a strategic investor, delivering on its shared vision of a world free of pain. The solution will combine DTx with traditional wraparound services to unlock value-based chronic pain management at scale. Patients will be guided through a personalized care journey and connected to a supportive community of those with lived experience of chronic pain.
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