AstraZeneca launches prostate cancer app
pharmafile | August 7, 2012 | News story | Medical Communications | AZ, AstraZeneca, PSA, Zoladex, diabetes, prostate
AstraZeneca has launched a new app that helps prostate cancer patients to monitor their PSA levels.
It is not the first PSA testing app and there are also other applications with the ability to communicate with doctors as Prostate Assistant does, but this is the first app that AZ has made for patients as opposed to doctors.
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is a prostate blood test that helps to detect and monitor prostate cancer.
The app monitors these levels after a patient inputs their PSA levels into their smartphone or tablet after a doctor has recorded them. It can then be put into a graph in order for the patient to visually track their levels.
The Prostate Assistant also allows patients to access a range of healthcare information on prostate cancer, manage their medical appointments and record notes. AZ says the app also allows men to directly email and call their GPs and hospitals.
Zoladex
AZ currently markets Zoladex for hormone-sensitive cancers of the prostate, and the drug made just over $1 billion in sales last year. The firm had been looking to increase its prostate cancer treatments with zibotentan, but the pill failed a Phase III trial last year, leaving its future in doubt.
Its prostate app is very similar to diabetes apps that allow patients to monitor and store their blood sugar levels and contact their doctors via the app – but these apps allow a patient to test at home, something the Prostate Assistant cannot do.
These tests can all be done in the doctor’s office, but these sorts of apps are designed to make patients feel that they have more control over their disease.
The problem here, however, is that the vast majority of men with prostate cancer are over 50, with the average male in the US being diagnosed with the disease at age 69. Most men of this age will not likely be using mobile apps, meaning downloads will probably remain low.
Another problem is that the PSA levels must be taken at the doctor’s office – most apps of this kind are meant to reduce visits to the doctor by allowing testing to be done and monitored at home, but the Prostate Assistant doesn’t have this function.
This begs the question: if you have to go to the doctor’s surgery in order to have the test, then why wouldn’t you talk to your doctor then and there and allow him/her to track your PSA levels?
You could also just as easily book another appointment as you left the surgery and any additional information can also be easily found on the internet, without needing an app – this brings its utility for patients into question.
Increasing prescriptions
The utility for AZ, however, is fairly clear. The firm’s logo is not included on the app but the ‘AstraZeneca’ name is prominent on the iTunes and Google Play site, and the colour scheme of the app is also strikingly similar to its website design.
The ultimate marketing aim will be to have its name linked with patients thinking about their prostate cancer, potentially increasing prescribing rates of Zoladex. But as older men are not the core users of smartphone/tablet apps, this could be lost on them.
John Calleary, consultant urologist at North Manchester General Hospital, said: “The new ‘Prostate Assistant’ mobile application is a valuable tool for men with prostate cancer who not only want to know more about their condition, but who also want to continuously update their records and communicate directly with their doctors.
Calleary, who helped AZ develop the app, added: “Innovative healthcare technology is important as it provides patients with a private and flexible way of communicating that can enhance their interactions with healthcare professionals.”
The Prostate Assistant app can be downloaded for free via iPhone, iPad and Google android devices and can also be found on iTunes.
AZ currently develops AZ Quest cardiology app and EGFR mutation testing app for lung cancer, both or which are aimed at doctors.
Ben Adams is the reporter for Pharmafocus and InPharm.com and author of the DigiBlog site. He can be contacted via: email or Twitter.
Related Content
NICE recommends Benralizumab for Rare Form of Vasculitis
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended AstraZeneca’s benralizumab (Fasenra) as …
NICE approves AstraZeneca’s dual immunotherapy for advanced liver cancer
AstraZeneca has received a positive recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence …
MetP Pharma releases positive data on intranasal semaglutide administration
MetP Pharma has released new data highlighting the advantages of its MetP technology in delivering …
