Aleksandra Lesiak, PhD, MD | Phlecs; Rene Wenmekers, MBA; David Aubert, MBA
Competition Sponsor: EIT Health of the European Union
Awardee Year: 2022
Itching is highly prevalent among the older adults, studies in the Netherlands and in Denmark show that up to 50% of nursing home residents suffer from Chronic Itching.
Comorbidities are also very frequent such as hypertension that affects more than 70% of the 65 years plus and depression that could raise up to 50% in the nursing home population.
Current treatments have important limitations, because of overmedication, potential side effects and the time it requires to provide skin care, when care givers capacity is limited. Because of that, adherence to treatments is low and this significantly impacts the quality of life of our parents and grandparents. Phlecs leverages more than 15 years of clinical research and technology development originated at Philips. Studies show that blue light, that is UV-free so easy and safe to administrate, is effective to reduce itching, hypertension and depression. These clinical results are confirmed with the most recent studies conducted at the Universities of Lodz in Poland and Düsseldorf in Germany using the full body blue light device of Phlecs.
Phlecs has introduced a Full Body Blue Research device last year, the device is currently used by dermatology clinics to do research on blue light and sold to large care homes that have the facility to provide the treatment. Phlecs has also initiated the development of a Full Body Home connected device that brings therapy at patient’s bed and captures patient biomedical data. This device will be launched in 2025.
To learn more about this proposal, email healthylongevity@nas.edu.