PatientsLikeMe and LetsGetChecked team up to increase home testing options

Thanks to a new partnership, patients like me members of the community health network will have access to a home diagnostic business LetsGetCheckedand get discounts on screening tests.

Mass.-based PatientsLikeMe is a personalized health network that includes a patient support community, health management, and a real-world data platform. It appeared in 2004 as one of the first players in the digital health space.

Founded in 2015, LetsGetChecked offers at-home testing, including for sexual health, diabetes, thyroid, cholesterol, and COVID-19.

“Today, healthcare consumers expect increased engagement and access to their healthcare services, and testing is no exception. Through the partnership between PatientsLikeMe and LetsGetChecked, our members can now expect enhanced capabilities with convenient access to home testing solutions, ensuring individuals can receive the care and support they need, when they need it. said Chris-Renfo Wallace, COO of PatientsLikeMe. MobiHealthNews in an email.

THE GREAT TREND

In 2017, PatientsLikeMe obtained $100 million in fundingprimarily from a partnership with health data and genomics company iCarbonX, a company founded by scientist Jun Wang and heavily backed by Chinese mega-conglomerate Tencent.

In 2019, iCarbonX, the Chinese firm holding the majority of the company’s capital, was commissioned by tThe Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States sold its shares due to concerns about foreign investment and influence, forcing PatientsLikeMe to seek a new buyer for its stake in the online network.

In 2019, PatientsLikeMe announced that it had signed an agreement with UnitedHealth Group be part of the research arm of the managed healthcare and insurance company, which raised concerns about privacy and data sharing with the public, particularly visible on social networks.

Last year, the company announced that it had received $26 million in funding

To date, the company has raised $153 millionaccording to Crunchbase, and in October launched a rare disease study focused on alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) with health technology company SEQSTER.

LetsGetChecked has also raised substantial funding. In September, JP Morgan Chase’s healthcare business unit, Morgan Health, announced a $20 million strategic investment in LetsGetChecked.

A year earlier, the telediagnosis company had closed a $150M Series D Funding Roundrelying on 2018, 2019 and 2020.