ConnectTxt

10th April 2005
Cambridge, UK

Amgen, the worlds largest biotechnical company, have today implemented a new service to help clinics regulate the administering of their Aranesp renal drug to patients. The consequences of not taking the prescribed drug at the right time can be costly both in terms of the patients’ health and potential additional healthcare provision. The new service fits with the Amgen mantra evolving around a company which is “science-based and patient-driven”.

Amgen have teamed up with the healthcare mobile technology company Cy-nap to provide a version of Cy-nap’s meditxt to enable clinics to manage, send and receive SMS text messages. The messages are sent to remind patients to take their monthly prescription. if the patient does not reply to signify the prescription has been taken they are sent a further series of message until they reply. This approach is significantly reducing the administrative and material overheads of a manual reminder and the reducing the possibility of a hospital visit.

meditxt is a web-based, automated SMS text tool, which is based upon the txttools application suite and tailored for specific use in the healthcare industry. With a cost per text message of just 10p, meditxt can be set up to contact patients according to the preferences of the individual healthcare specialist. Any information exchanged can automatically be recorded on the patient. meditxt is one of the first serious text messaging tools for use in NHS clinics.

Adam Aspinal of Amgen “55 million mobile phone users in the UK gives access to pretty much everyone in the population, therefore we have an ideal opportunity to increase the efficiency of administering our drug regime. Amgen needed a specific application that would fit the special requirements of the industry, and provide significant benefit to the clinics and their patients.” He continues “The clinics are taking great interest in this as they are able to save clinic time and therefore money by communications.”

Steve McCann of technology partner Cy-nap “The technology is now available to potentially reshape the way we communicate simple messages with patients. Furthermore, it is proven to have a significant positive impact in other areas of the public sector such as education. By intelligently integrating mobile technology within their existing provision of healthcare, Amgen is making their services to patients more efficient and accessible.”

About Amgen

Company Profile

Amgen is the world’s largest biotechnology company. Our mission is to serve patients. For nearly 25 years, the company has used scientific discovery and innovation to dramatically improve people’s lives. Harnessing the powerful tools of cellular and molecular biology and medicinal chemistry, we seek to discover, develop, and commercialize proteins, antibodies, and small molecules that can extend the reach of medicine.

Originally founded in 1980 as AMGen (Applied Molecular Genetics), Amgen pioneered the development of novel and innovative products based on advances in recombinant DNA and molecular biology. More than a decade ago, Amgen introduced two of the first biologically derived human therapeutics, EPOGEN® (epoetin alfa) and NEUPOGEN® (filgrastim), which became the biotechnology industry’s first blockbusters. These products have improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients suffering from conditions related to chronic kidney disease and cancer.

About Cy-nap

“mobile technology helping people to manage their lives”

Cy-nap Ltd was established in January 2001 and is the result of over 14 years of innovation within the technology market.

meditxt® has been developed specifically for use in hospitals, clinics and surgeries

edutxt® is used extensively in schools, colleges and universities

txttools is used by companies that create services for business-to-consumer clients and with companies who provide services and content directly to their consumers.

These companies encompass a variety of business markets including corporate, publishing, law, web development, retail, health. In fact any group that has a need to communicate with people, be they customers, subscribers, members or staff.

Contact:

Stephen McCann,
Managing Director
t: +44(0)113 234 2111
m: +44(0)7866 438056
e: smccann@cy-nap.com
w: www.txttools.co.uk