DATAcc by DiMe Releases New Resources to Support the Development of Digital Health Technologies to Predict and Manage Cancer Immunotherapy Side Effects

Associated Press

13-02-2025

New resources will support developers and researchers in developing de-risking digital products to better predict and manage Cytokine Release Syndrome
BOSTON, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Digital Health Measurement Collaborative Community (DATAcc) by the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe), the global home for digital health measures development, released new resources to support the development of digital health technologies (DHTs) for predicting and managing Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), a serious side effect of cancer immunotherapies.
Over the past few decades, immunotherapies have shown significant promise in treating hematological cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, offering hope to patients with limited treatment options. However, these therapies also bring the risk of CRS, a potentially fatal condition that presents as flu-like symptoms but can quickly escalate to life-threatening complications if not properly managed. The risk of CRS often requires therapies to be administered in a hospital setting or frequent clinical visits, increasing clinical trial costs, especially for patients in underserved or rural areas, and burden on healthcare systems.
The lack of standard reporting and a robust, high-frequency collection of clinical measures related to CRS presents barriers to developing high-quality CRS de-risking products. DATAcc's new resources advance the development of CRS de-risking products that may improve care delivery, reduce hospital dependency, and expand immunotherapies for all patients.
'Immunotherapies are lifesaving, but dangerous side effects like CRS create barriers for too many,' said Samantha McClenahan, DiMe. 'The resources launched today will support developers in building the products needed for de-risking CRS outside clinical settings. Leveraging DHTs can help reduce the risk of CRS and get these therapies to patients in need. We're excited to launch resources that will fast-track the development of these new digital products.'
'Immunotherapies are a critical, innovative intervention in the fight against cancer, but today they can be costly and prohibitive for many patients due to the need to monitor for dangerous side effects,' said Cindy Varga, Atrium Health. 'Using CRS de-risking tools during treatment, we could more quickly detect CRS symptoms and intervene earlier to mitigate high grade complications during a cancer patient's treatment journey. Expanding the availability of CRS de-risking tools will help oncologists and researchers detect and manage CRS more effectively, enabling patients to spend less time in inpatient settings and reducing the burden on healthcare systems, patients, and caregivers.'
DATAcc is the leader in advancing the use of digital clinical measures by stakeholders across our industry. The new resources launched today accompany existing digital measures resources in physical activity, Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, nocturnal scratch, and sleep. We are tackling some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in the digital medicine ecosystem. To change the digital health landscape as a DiMe or DATAcc partner, click here.
About the Digital Medicine Society: DiMe is a global non-profit and the professional home for all members of the digital medicine community. Together, we tackle the toughest digital medicine challenges, develop clinical-quality resources on a technology timeline, and deliver these actionable resources to the field via open-source channels and educational programs.
About DATAcc by DiMe: The Digital Health Measurement Collaborative Community ( DATAcc) by DiMe is a collaborative community with the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. We provide a forum for collaboration where partners and experts from across the digital health field work to advance the use of digital health measures in research to improve lives.