Amgen and Liva Healthcare forge cardiac rehabilitation partnership

Biotechnology firm Amgen and digital health coaching company Liva Healthcare, a new partnership to make cardiac rehabilitation accessible to more patients in the immediate aftermath of a heart attack. 

Amgen and Liva Healthcare will be supported by a consortium of EU bodies to co-create a digital tele-rehabilitation solution called Rehab+. 

Rehab+ supports patients for over one year, helping them to transition from a passive, recovery mindset into an active one of self-care. Rehab+ is designed to help individuals assess their lifestyle post-heart attack, set personal objectives to reduce their cardiac risk, and establish long-lasting positive lifestyle changes. Rehab+ supports and equips patients to stay engaged with their own health and to manage their cardiac risk factors as a chronic condition to prevent a next heart attack. 

Rehab+ is part of OPTIMISE, an Amgen-led cardiovascular programme which aims to transform patient care and demonstrate improvement in outcomes. This is achieved through a range of initiatives which support the healthcare community and patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease.  

Amgen Europe and Amgen Spain will be programme leaders whilst Liva Healthcare will provide the technology platform, including the patient app. Through the app, patients will have regular support from a professional human coach and receive educational content based on their personal needs and situation. Patients can also track their own progress real-time and engage with a support group of peers to keep them motivated.  

To develop Rehab+, Amgen partnered with Liva Healthcare, rehabilitation hospitals in Spain, La Paz in Madrid, Vall d’Hebron in Barcelona, Virgen de la Victoria in Malaga and Zuyderland in the Netherlands. Amgen also partnered with regional payors in Spain, Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS), Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS) and Servicio Català de la Salut (Cat Salut), and Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Rehab+ is endorsed by Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC), Netherlands Society of Cardiology (NVVC) and Foro Español de Pacientes (Spanish Patients Forum). 

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Health recently announced that Rehab+ has won an Education Award, which enables Rehab+ to be implemented in four rehabilitation centres across Spain and the Netherlands and evaluated by Maastricht University (Centre for Cardiology Research). Based on the scientific evaluation, further uptake of Rehab+ in Netherlands, Spain and additional countries will be discussed.  

Roman Stampfli, vice president marketing & innovation at Amgen, said: “Only a third of the one million people who have a heart attack each year in Europe have access to cardiac rehabilitation to reduce their risk of a second heart attack. This partnership is part of our commitment to make cardiac rehabilitation accessible to more patients in the immediate aftermath of a heart attack. By working with Liva Healthcare and this consortium of EU partners, we can co-create an innovative digital tele-rehab solution that helps people establish long-lasting lifestyle changes.” 

André Sode, CEO of Liva Healthcare, added: “Amgen is addressing a significant gap in cardiac recovery. We are delighted to partner with Amgen, and a powerful collective of purpose-driven organisations, to help improve the lives of people who have had a heart attack. By combining our technology and the expertise of Amgen and the consortium of partners, we can make cardiac rehabilitation easily accessible to more people, empowering them to stay engaged with their own health and, ultimately, reduce their risk of a next heart attack.”