Digital Health Today, Asia Pacific Edition with Tony Estrella

Transforming health care systems is difficult, and yet that is the goal we are trying to achieve when we are leveraging the technologies of the future to address current health care challenges. And if you're a global multinational, the challenges can be even more complicated. Your day to day can be a mix of conflicting priorities, such as in dealing with the needs of today's business while also keeping an eye on the future, a future which includes health system transformations, personalized health, and health equity.

In this episode I speak with Ahmed Elhusseiny, the area head for Roche Pharma in Asia Pacific at their offices in Singapore to discuss how a global multinational can drive change.

During this podcast Ahmed and I discuss:

About Ahmend

Ahmed Elhusseiny has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for nearly 20 years, working across Europe, North America and Asia. He has a strong track record of developing and implementing comprehensive strategies for innovative health therapies. Prior to joining Roche in 2013, he was at Novartis for ten years, where he led various business units, including Ophthalmology and Primary Care.

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A key driver to create the future of health in both personalized health and health equity is innovation, an innovation that comes from technology. Startups who are creating disruptive products and services are typically fueled by venture capital investors. But how can startups and investors align with future end customers to create the health ecosystems of tomorrow?

In this episode, I speak with Scarlett Chen, Managing Partner at Verge HealthTech Fund. Throughout her career she's helped drive business growth as both an investor and through m & a.

During this podcast Scarlett and I discuss:

About Scarlett Chenn

Ms Scarlett Chen is Managing Partner at Verge HealthTech Fund, a VC fund manager focused exclusively on impactful HealthTech startups at a global scale and at the early stage.

Previously as Managing Director at Prudential Corporation Asia, Ms Chen was responsible for Strategic Investments. Before Prudential, Ms. Chen worked at Anbang Capital as Global Head of Financial Institutions Group where she led a number of outbound investments in Europe and Asia.

Before joining the buy-side, Ms. Chen was an investment banker for over a decade, having worked at Merrill Lynch in the US and Barclays in Hong Kong, where she executed more than US$30 billion in capital markets and advisory transactions.

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Health systems are faced with many choices when it comes to population health.  Increasing costs for sick care, decisions on which innovations they can approve and afford, and evolving medical practices in both prevention and treatment which can challenge existing regulatory norms. 

In this episode, I speak with Clive Tan, a Founding Member of Precision Public Health Asia Society to discuss how their work is serving to harmonise the decisions the ASEAN region is making to improve population health. The Society recently held their biennial event in Singapore, including esteemed speakers including Singapore’s Minister of Health Ye Kun Ong.  

During this podcast Clive and I discuss:

About Clive Tan

Clive Tan is a medical doctor and Public Health specialist with close to two decades of clinical and leadership experience in the healthcare sector. As Assistant Chief of Group Integrated Care (Population Health) in the National Healthcare Group, he is responsible for strategic planning for integrated care and population health efforts for the 1.5 million residents in the Central-North region of Singapore. His work in care integration incorporates value-based care, behavioral change incentives, payment models, healthcare quality and digitalization – with a strong emphasis on place-based care and relationship-based care. He holds a MBBS from Singapore and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from Johns Hopkins University, along with certificates in Gerontology, Humanitarian Assistance and Health Informatics (AMIA). He is also an Atlantic Fellow in the Equity Initiative Programme, which works in South-East Asia to reduce health inequities. Together with the National University of Singapore’s School of Public Health and the Precision Public Health Asia Society, he recently published the White Paper on Responsible Data Sharing in Health and Healthcare in May 2022, which outlines useful and practical steps that stakeholders can take to build a more progressive state of data sharing in the health sector. He is a Founding Member of the Precision Public Health Asia Society, and was the organizing chairperson for the Precision Public Health Asia Conference, held in Singapore in July 2023. He is an adjunct Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore’s School of Public Health where he teaches healthcare management, digital health and data sharing in health.

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Today, we are more fascinated than ever by how Artificial Intelligence can affect the future of any industry, including healthcare. But AI alone can’t solve healthcare. To make an impact, solutions built with AI have to fit into the right ecosystem to enable better consumer journeys and health outcomes.

In this episode, I speak with Prashant Warier, the co-founder and CEO of Qure. Over the past 6 years, he’s learned how to convert the promise of how Artificial Intelligence can be used in Healthcare into three clear use-cases that solve the needs of millions of people across 80 countries.

During this podcast, we discuss:

• The value of mentors and advisors to help identify disruptive opportunities that drive exponential change in healthcare

• How a background in Data Science changed the way to develop effective AI products

• The three clear use-cases for AI and Radiology that led to reaching millions of people across 80 countries by focusing on autonomous X-Ray interpretation

• How a team of 250 people can scale by building effective partnerships with organisations like Astra Zeneca and the NHS

About Prashant Warier

Prashant Warier is Founder and CEO of Qure.ai, a leading Artificial Intelligence company in Radiology. He is an expert in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning and has architected and commercialized several AI solutions during his career. His work has been published in journals such as The Lancet and Nature. He is passionate about using AI and machine learning to make healthcare affordable and accessible. Prashant is an evangelist for the adoption of AI in radiology and has given multiple TedX talks, including one at the largest TedX event in the world in Mumbai. In the past, Prashant was Chief Data Scientist at Fractal.ai and also founded AI - powered advertising technology startup Imagna which was acquired by Fractal.ai in 2015.

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Engaging with active and well-informed individuals is the essential element of any successful health ecosystem. Without them, healthcare and digital health companies are building solutions that can’t improve health outcomes. Patient advocacy groups are one way that individuals can become empowered. But across the world, the impact of such groups is dependent on external factors to help them achieve scale. In this episode, I speak with Ruth Kuguru, the Regional Head for Communications and Patient Engagement for Novartis who has developed a platform to change this dynamic for patient advocacy groups. During this podcast, we discuss:

About Ruth Kuguru

Ruth Kuguru is the Executive Director, Communications & Patient Engagement for Novartis Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. In her role, she leads her team to foster open, inclusive, and strong partnerships with patient communities, media, and healthcare leaders in Asia Pacific, Middle East and African countries. She is passionate about the impact strong collaboration can have in accelerating access and developing innovative solutions for patients.

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Join host Tony Estrella each month as he explores with his guests what it takes to build successful ecosystems across Asia-Pacific.

You’ll hear thought-provoking interviews with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors who bring real-life examples of building effective partnerships that solve some of the most important healthcare challenges across this vibrant region.

Whether you’re already in healthcare, a tech enthusiast, or simply curious about what is happening in Asia-Pacific, tune in to the APAC Edition of Digital Health Today.

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Globally, the insurance industry is rapidly changing with the increasing use of technology throughout the value chain. And because individuals in Asia Pacific tend to buy and use health insurance from life insurers, the need for data, customer engagement, and digital transformation is particularly essential.

In this episode, I speak with Paul Hughes, the Head of Asia Pacific for UnderwriteMe. Paul and I first worked together at MetLife Asia many years ago, and he has worked across Asia Pacific for many other private insurers. In his current role, he is at the epicenter of the change spurred by technology and data, including digital health.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The structure of the typical insurance, from sales to operations

• How technology and data are changing the way insurers need to operate

• The role of digital tools including health and insurtech

• The future of underwriting

Paul Hughes

Paul leads the Asia Pacific team at UnderwriteMe, a leading provider of underwriting automation solutions that helps insurers transform their new business process. He is responsible for creating and leading the growth strategy for the business in Asia Pacific and ensuring client success. With over 25 years of experience in the life and health insurance industry in Asia Pacific, he had held senior roles in Underwriting, Claims, Operations, Product and Marketing with leading insurers and reinsurers such as Swiss Re, Aviva, AIA, and MetLife.

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The role of academia is an essential one for digital health. In addition to providing the platform to conduct clinical research and showcase where technology can create impact, the right environment also becomes the training ground for future leaders and change makers.

In this episode, I speak with Dean Ho, who is one of the unique individuals who effectively bridges the different worlds of academia and business building. Dean is the Provost’s Chair Professor, Director of The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1), Director of the Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the National University of Singapore. He's also an experienced business builder and entrepreneur.

In our conversation we cover:

• The evolving role of academia in becoming a hands-on partner for Health Innovation

• The impact of Digital Health including AI on regulatory

• How National University of Singapore is taking a role in designing the next generation of clinical innovation

• The need for Digital Therapeutics in APAC

Professor Dean Ho

Using his CURATE.AI platform, Prof.Dean Ho has led multiple pioneering clinical studies that have validated the promise of N-of-1 medicine, where only a patient’s own data is used to personalise their treatment for the entire duration of care. Multiple CURATE.AI-based clinical studies are ongoing or cleared for start in the areas of solid cancer and blood cancer therapy, digital therapeutics/personalised learning, and post-organ transplant immunosuppression, among others. 

Prof. Ho is an elected member of the US National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Royal Society of Chemistry, and Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening, as well as a Fulbright Scholar. Prof Ho is also currently a Subgroup Lead of the World Health Organization-ITU AI for Health Working Group for Regulatory Considerations. He has also served as the President of the Board of Directors of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS), a 26,000+ member global drug development organization comprised of senior executives from the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, as well as academic thought leaders. 

Prof. Ho is a recipient of the Tech Heroes from Crisis: Pathfinder Award from the Singapore Computer Society, NSF CAREER Award, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Translational Research Award, and V Foundation for Cancer Research Scholar Award, among others. Prof. Ho was also named to the Asia Tatler Gen.T List, which honours young leaders who are shaping the future of the region. Prof. Ho has appeared on the National Geographic Channel Program “Known Universe” to discuss his discoveries in drug delivery and imaging. His discoveries have been featured on CNN, The Economist, Forbes, Washington Post, NPR and other international news outlets. He has advised major publicly listed companies as well as venture capital and private equity funds in the areas of digital medicine and pharmaceutical development, among other sectors.

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For some Digital Health companies, especially those in very developed healthcare systems, success can be contingent on identifying a single core problem and then keeping a tight focus on this challenge when iteratively building your great solution. But not every entrepreneur or corporate innovator has the luxury to take this path, especially when there are overlapping areas of need for your customers.

In this episode, we return to Indonesia to examine both the challenge and the successful approach taken by Tiffany Robyn Soetikno, the Founder and COO of PT Global Urban Esensial. Robyn is a skilled entrepreneur who grew up in the Indonesian Healthcare industry. The results (so far) from her efforts have led to a startup delivering impact for 2.5 million individuals, 70,000 doctors, and 1,700 pharmacists.

In our discussion, we cover:

• A summary of the Indonesia healthcare landscape

• Building a complex product roadmap and making it work

• Her process for deriving consumer insights

• Building scale across each of the different customers while managing growth

Robyn Soetikno

Robyn founded PT Global Urban Esensial (PT GUE, LLC), a leading digital health startup in Indonesia with a vision to reduce the relationship gaps between doctors and patients. Driven to create a health ecosystem that connects different stakeholders, GUE, LLC has developed three pillars: patient management, doctor management and medication supply.

Robyn is passionate about enabling stakeholders within the healthcare industry, using technology to address gaps in the healthcare sector. As a startup founder, she has experience in making the jump from zero to one, scaling up, and transforming the team accordingly. She has also assisted several incumbents to grab opportunities in digital.

In 2019, Robyn was named 30 Under 30 - Asia - 2019 under Healthcare and Science category. She was the only Indonesian entrepreneur honored by Forbes.

Robyn earned her Masters of Science degree in International Health Management from Imperial College, London and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Public Health and Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College, New York.

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Across Asia Pacific, one persistent challenge is the digital readiness of a health system. Some are more ready for Health Tech than others. The ones that are most prepared have significant adoption of technology, data standards, and processes that embed tech-based solutions into healthcare.

In this episode, I’m joined by Shigeto Miyamoto, Head of Digital Marketing for BMS in Japan, and a life-long evangelist for driving technology innovation. In our conversation, we take a deep dive into the current digital readiness in Japan. And while the discussion is specific to one country, the insights from our discussion can be applicable to other health systems.

Topics we discuss include:

• Cultural reasons why paper-based processes are still prevalent

• Gap between the desire to innovate and barriers including regulatory

• The impact of COVID on the use of smartphones, telemedicine, and EMRs

• Cultural views on privacy and data

• The hopeful future for Digital Health in Japan including AI and IoT / Smart Devices

Shigeto Miyamoto

Based in Tokyo, Shigeto Miyamoto is an experienced digital marketer and thought leader for how technology is driving disruptive innovation in Japan.  Shigeto is currently the Head of Digital Marketing at BMS Japan, where he is the lead for engagement strategy, contents capabilities, and marketing technology.  He has previously worked in insurance at MetLife Japan and held other technology-centric roles at both global enterprises and startups.

His career choices are driven by a mission to solve the medical and digital disparities for patients. Shigeto is best known for inspiring marketers to tackle challenging problems through agile thinking and iterative product creation.

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