Baxter and Ayogo Announce Partnership for Unique Digital Health Solutions for Home Dialysis

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DEERFIELD, Ill. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia - 2020-07-29

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), a global innovator in renal care, and Ayogo Health Inc., a behavioral science-based digital health company, announced the expansion of their partnership to support the needs of patients with kidney disease through digital health solutions. Ayogo is combining LifePlan—its unique behavior-based digital platform—with Baxter’s expertise in renal care to build mobile apps and digital solutions that bring personalized, relevant and timely support to patients with kidney failure. Baxter also made an equity investment in Ayogo in exchange for minority interest in the company. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

“As a leader in renal care innovation and pioneer in digital health solutions for patients with kidney failure, our collaboration with Ayogo allows us to provide healthcare professionals and patients more confidence in their therapy options, including home dialysis,” said Laura Angelini, general manager, Baxter’s Renal Care business. “This is particularly important in the midst of the pandemic, when it is critical to support patients with digital health tools that empower them to perform dialysis in the safety of their home, while staying connected with their healthcare team.”

The companies’ initial collaboration resulted in a patient engagement app—CKD&Me—that provides customized disease and therapy education for the individual learning needs of patients with chronic kidney disease. CKD&Me recently launched in the United States for use on smartphones and tablets and is available in the United States on the App Store and on Google Play

While the companies continue to expand the content and features of CKD&Me, they are also building a new mobile platform for patients using Baxter’s Sharesource remote patient management platform. Sharesource, which is widely used in 65 countries, has helped healthcare professionals remotely manage more than 17 million home patients’ dialysis treatments. The new initiative will provide patients the ability to more proactively manage their home dialysis therapy records in partnership with their healthcare team.

Two retrospective studies conducted at Baxter’s Renal Care Services clinics in Colombia found the use of Baxter’s Sharesource remote patient management platform with automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) therapy was associated with a 56% reduction in technique failure¹ and a 39% reduction in hospitalizations.² Both studies compared metrics for patients on APD and using Sharesource, with those of patients on APD but not using the remote patient management platform.  Patients using Baxter’s APD systems with Sharesource to perform therapy can be closely monitored by their healthcare professionals without leaving their homes. Healthcare professionals can then act on this information by remotely adjusting their patients’ home device settings without requiring them to make additional trips to the clinic.

“Ayogo’s vision is of an empowered patient, successful on their own terms, with tools and support dynamically tailored to the unique characteristics and circumstances of their life,” said Michael Fergusson, CEO, Ayogo. “We’re very excited that Baxter shares this vision. We’re proud of our collaboration on CKD&Me, and to grow our partnership with Baxter to bring the power of Sharesource and Ayogo’s LifePlan platform direct to patients around the world.”

About Baxter

Every day, millions of patients and caregivers rely on Baxter’s leading portfolio of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products. For more than 85 years, we’ve been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers that make it happen. With products, technologies and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter’s employees worldwide are now building upon the company’s rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Ayogo Health Inc.

Ayogo is an award-winning, behavioral science-based company, recently acknowledged as one of the 100 most innovative mHealth companies in the world. Ayogo’s Glimpse™ Platform substantially increases activation, adherence and persistence to therapy by tailoring content, tools and support to each person’s unique psychosocial characteristics. To learn more, visit www.ayogo.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

This release includes forward-looking statements concerning CKD&Me and Sharesource, including availability and potential benefits associated with their use. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; changes in law and regulations; and other risks identified in Baxter's most recent filing on Form 10-K and other SEC filings, all of which are available on Baxter's website. Baxter does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

Baxter, CKD&Me and Sharesource are trademarks of Baxter International Inc.