Written by : Dr. Aishwarya Sarthe
May 22, 2024
Per the deal, the new partners will contribute their data sets to Komodo's MapEnhance platform.
US-based Komodo Health, a healthcare data analytics firm, entered into two new specialty data partnerships with GeneDx and COTA Healthcare.
GeneDx specializes in rare disease genomics, while COTA Healthcare focuses on clinical oncology data.
Per the deal, the new partners will contribute their data sets to Komodo's MapEnhance platform.
With this move, Komodo Health aims to deepen the insights provided by its platform, MapEnhance. Additionally, this initiative will enhance the company's capacity for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR).
These additions will complement Komodo's existing data products, which include clinical observations, lab results, insurance coverage, mortality, and patient race and ethnicity.
MapEnhance, launched in 2023, offers a comprehensive library of specialty data sets that integrate with Komodo's Healthcare Map. This map is an anonymized data set covering over 330 million Americans, designed to support complex research queries.
The expansion of Komodo’s data partnerships occurs amid rising interest in real-world data for healthcare research.
Sharing insights, Web Sun, Komodo’s cofounder and president, said, "Organizations specializing in data are approaching us because they recognize the value in these partnerships.”
He highlighted that many entities wish to collaborate to leverage their combined data sets, benefiting patients through enhanced research capabilities via MapEnhance.
Sandy Leonard, COTA’s chief commercial officer, said, "Clients want to understand a fuller view of patients. Historically, the limited data scope has restricted the depth of the research questions. However, with MapEnhance, researchers can now explore outcomes such as treatment effectiveness and the impact of drug adherence or social determinants of health on patient outcomes.”
Sun also noted that research questions have traditionally been quite basic, but now the focus has shifted to determining whether a treatment genuinely changes patient outcomes or improves survival rates.
Komodo’s enhanced data capabilities have already influenced numerous studies. This year alone, 33 Komodo-powered HEOR studies were presented at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Global Conference.
One study used Komodo’s race and ethnicity data to analyze medication adherence among schizophrenia patients. At the same time, another validated an algorithm identifying breast cancer patients in claims data using genomics partner data.
COTA, known for its work with oncology clinics and electronic health record (EHR) data, is looking to expand its HEOR footprint.
"Komodo is a helpful partner because of its experience in this realm," Leonard noted. COTA aims to build on its data using Komodo’s resources, potentially filling gaps in social determinants of health or race data.
“One of the benefits of being able to do that type of overlap is you kind of build out that patient 360-degree view—you’re getting all the aspects of the patient,” Leonard said.
However, she also acknowledged the privacy concerns of more overlapping data points. Komodo’s robust data management processes help mitigate these risks, she added.
With the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act, there is an expected shift towards understanding the cost implications of clinical outcomes. Historically, the focus has been more on clinical outcomes than their value. MapEnhance is well-positioned to support these evolving research needs, according to Leonard.
Through these collaborations, Komodo aims to continue enhancing its platform and providing valuable insights for the healthcare industry.