My big idea: Sanius Health

‍Hi Orlando! What's your elevator pitch?

Sanius Health aims to address the lack of data on rare diseases and improve the lives of millions of people. Our patient-generated health data tracking platform uses wearable technologies and AI-driven digital innovation to improve the lives and wellbeing of people living with sickle cell disease (SCD) and other rare diseases. The ecosystem gives patients the tools they need to manage their conditions while helping advance research into rare and chronic diseases.

What does the market need?‍

Rare diseases are often little understood, which can make it difficult for patients to manage their conditions and symptoms. Sanius Health helps patients to track their health data in real time, so that they can identify trends and patterns that may indicate a change in their condition. This information can then be shared with healthcare providers, who can use it to develop more effective treatment plans.

In the case of SCD, our ecosystem is significantly reducing A&E attendances, inpatient admissions and the number of vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), which are medical emergencies that can lead to organ damage and death. It does this by combining the data from simple wearable health monitoring devices with medical and genomics data, which are then pulled into our AI algorithm to show patients a predictive score of the potential outcomes.

Where is the business today?

We’re committed to helping as many patients as possible who live with rare diseases. To that end, we’ve expanded our patient ecosystem beyond our initial focus on SCD to include other conditions such as a rare blood cancer called Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, as well as Amyloidosis, which affects the body’s organs, neurological disorder Fabry and chronic myeloid leukaemia.

We’ve achieved this by forging partnerships with a wide network of NHS providers, charities, treatment centres, researchers, developers of therapeutics and regulators. This has allowed us to build a truly comprehensive and unique picture of the UK’s health and rare diseases landscape.

As a result of these partnerships, the number of patients joining our ecosystem has increased from 200 to 1,000. Our team has also grown, with significant hires including an experienced consultant haematologist and a haematology specialist pharmacist.

We plan to expand internationally into new territories, including the US, India and the Middle East over the next 12 to 24 months. We also hope to further grow our user base and expert team throughout 2023 and beyond.

We believe that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of their condition. That’s why we’re committed to making Sanius Health the go-to platform for patients with rare diseases. We want to be the place where patients can go to find the information, support, and resources they need to manage their conditions and live their best lives.

What made you think there was money in this?

This was never about making money. Our aim is to change the landscape for patients with rare diseases by addressing the lack of data on these conditions.

We believe that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of their condition. That’s why we’re committed to using technology to collect and analyse data on rare diseases so that we can better understand these conditions and develop new treatments and therapies.

What's your biggest strength?

I created Sanius Health to help people with rare and chronic diseases feel less isolated. I wanted to create a company that would provide comprehensive support to patients, care providers and research partners. We offer a variety of innovative services, including insights, wearable offerings, and wraparound support. I am so proud of what Sanius Health has become and remain committed to making a difference in the lives of thousands of patients.

What is the secret to making the business work?

The secret to making a business work is to keep focused. It's easy to get distracted by shiny objects and impressive-sounding ideas, but if they don't contribute to the growth and success of your business, they're simply a waste of time and resources.

When it comes to growing companies, it's important to maintain a laser focus on the things that truly matter. That means identifying your core mission and values, and then setting goals that are aligned with those. It also means staying disciplined and making decisions that are in the best interests of your business, even when they're not the most popular or easy choices.

Of course, no business is immune to challenges. But if you can stay focused and keep moving forward, you'll be well on your way to success.

How do you market the company?‍

We don’t really think of what we do as marketing, however, our research and patient stories tell the story and encourage others with rare diseases to get involved. We also have some amazing clinical support – the best in the world in all rare diseases.

‍What funding do you have? Is it enough?

Sanius Health was founded on a mission to improve the quality of life, outcomes, and personalised medicines for patients with rare and chronic diseases. I was lucky enough to have made some successful investments in fintech, healthcare and marketplaces in the past, which allowed me to self-fund the company at the start.

The second round of funding focused on accelerating research to improve the gaps in care for patients and their unmet needs. The third round of funding is focused on ultimately finding a cure for patients. Sanius Health also funds patient-led charitable causes.

Tell us about the business model

Our business model is based on the idea of providing a comprehensive ecosystem of support for patients, care providers and research partners. This ecosystem includes insights, wearable offerings and wraparound support that addresses the diverse needs of patients. By tracking health outcomes and connecting patients with the right care providers, Sanius Health is able to provide a holistic solution that has helped improve the lives of countless individuals.What were you doing before?

Are there any technologies you've found useful?

Wearables and AI have the potential to revolutionise the way we treat patients. By collecting and analysing data in real time, these technologies can help us to identify early warning signs of disease, predict patient outcomes, and personalise treatment plans. This information can be used to improve patient care, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes. As these technologies continue to develop, we can expect to see even more ways to use them to improve the lives of patients.

What is the future vision?

Our goal at Sanius Health remains the same - to continue improving patients' lives dealing with SCD and other challenging conditions. We'll keep striving towards this goal, working to innovate and improve our offerings to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve.

I believe that our ecosystem will significantly improve how we approach care - from a patient, clinician, healthy system and research point of view. For patients, we have already seen several instances where our ecosystem has improved their quality of life, particularly for those with rare and chronic diseases. As our technology and community develop, what we can offer patients will increasingly provide relief and hope for millions who suffer from these conditions - especially those who often face significant challenges in managing their symptoms and receiving appropriate treatment.

Additionally, our ecosystem will increase visibility for clinicians, who may find it easier to identify and treat patients with rare conditions, leading to better overall health outcomes. This could also result in more data and insights for researchers, who could develop cures more suited to patients and their needs, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

Finally, our ambition at Sanius is to create a better way to connect patients, researchers and clinicians more closely, fostering collaboration and communication in the pursuit of better healthcare.

In time, I am confident that this will lead to a more patient-centred approach to healthcare, with all stakeholders working together to improve outcomes and quality of life for those in need.