India is the Diabetes capital of the world with over 80 million people suffering from type 2 (lifestyle induced) diabetes. In addition, 1 in 6 Indian may have prediabetes also known as borderline diabetes. If left untreated, 75% of these cases will convert into diabetes in 5-7 years. Indians have been noted to have higher risk of progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. Fitterfly, one of India’s top Digital Therapeutics (DTx) company, joined hands with the doctors and diabetes care companies to launch an awareness campaign for Prediabetes. In a first-of-its-kind initiative to mark ‘World Prediabetes Day’ on the 14th of August, Fitterfly Healthtech, a leading Indian Digital Therapeutic company, has collaborated with The Economic Times along with top doctors, Roche Diabetes Care, Lal Path Labs and USV Pharma. The partners have come together with a focus of carrying forward the three-fold approach for fighting prediabetes:
a) Creating sustained mass awareness about prediabetes
b) Catching prediabetes early
c) Coming together to solve the problem by diabetes prevention strategies.
Diabetes is a lifestyle disease that remains the biggest chronic health issue, draining personal and national wealth. Currently, there is no cure for Diabetes, but prediabetes can be reversed with timely intervention. Despite the importance of pre-diabetes, there is very little knowledge among healthcare providers and consumers. A simple calculator can easily help identify the risk of pre-diabetes. Fitterfly has launched an online Prediabetes Risk Test, which is an evidence-based, clinically validated tool for assessing an individual’s risk of Prediabetes and also provides recommended next steps. People who are aware are more likely to make lifestyle changes and prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. Recognizing the need to raise awareness on prediabetes, Fitterfly has embarked on a nationwide awareness campaign that aims at creating a strong message and advocacy about recognising and treating pre-diabetes. To charter this significant message, Fitterfly has given a call to action to recognize the 14th of August 2021 as “World Pre-diabetes Day”.
Speaking of the initiative and the event Dr Arbinder Singal, Co-Founder & CEO of Fitterfly, added, “Diabetes is a one of the foremost health concerns in India and the right stage to unburden India of diabetes is to work with people having prediabetes. Newer technologies like Digital Therapeutics and CGMS led Personalised Glycemic Response can help people reverse prediabetes or even early diabetes. We are very excited to partner with The Economic Times, Roche, USV and Lal Path Labs to flag off our campaign #FightPreDiabetes, which we hope will create much-needed awareness and impact. In the next 3 months, we aim to touch lives of 1 million people with prediabetes through our campaigns and partnerships with doctors and organisations.” Dr Sanjay Kalra, reputed Endocrinologist and Past president of Endocrine Society of India, added, “Prediabetes is a window of opportunity. Currently, not enough is done at individual or society level to tackle prediabetes. Data tracking and behavior change to help people make sustained life style changes from food, exercise, sleep and mental wellbeing perspective are the key to blunt the tide of diabetes. Digital therapeutics and prediabetes awareness campaigns are the right step in this direction.”
In the run-up to the event, Fitterfly has collaborated with more than 100 doctors and 20 leading corporates for employee wellness webinars and awareness sessions. The partners also launched #FightPrediabetes challenge in which 100 people with a high risk of prediabetes get a chance to win a Diabefly Diabetes Prevention program and package worth Rs 6000 and reverse their prediabetes in 3 months. Dr Singal added, “The prediabetes campaign will conclude on 14th Nov 2021 which is Diabetes day. The 90 days run up period is crucial as that’s the time it takes to reverse prediabetes with a diabetes prevention program.” The event on 14th August 2021 is planned to be held online and is open to general public. The event will have Dr Ganapathi Bantwal (President Endocrine Society of India), Dr Rakesh Sahay (President Elect, ESI), Dr Mangesh Tiwaskar (Secretary General, Association of Physicians India), Mr Omar Sherief (Head Roche Diabetes Care), Mr Shankha Banerjee (COO, Lal Path labs) and Ms Farida Hussain (CMO, USV Pharma) as the panelists.
About Fitterfly
Fitterfly is a smart, personal digital therapeutic solution that is an anytime, anywhere companion for patients to truly achieve their health goals. The company offers a clinically validated, digital-led therapy that connects patients, health coaches and healthcare providers in meaningful ways to enable sustainable behavior change that is at the core of good health. Fitterfly’s current product suite includes scientific and hyper-personalized DTx programs for diabetes, PCOS, obesity, pregnancy, and child wellness. For diabetes, Fitterfly offers an advanced digital therapeutic program – Diabefly, which uses advanced data tracking from continuous glucose monitoring devices and matches it with foods and exercise creating a personalised glycemic response assessment. Based on this assessment, personalized plans for diet, stress and fitness are provided to the patient. Diabefly programs have achieved transformational outcomes with results presented at American and European international conference. Fitterfly is the preferred digital therapeutic partner for many doctors, hospitals, organisations like pharma companies, corporates and medical device companies. Recently, Fitterfly raised a 3.1 Mn USD pre-series A funding round in March 2021.