Diagnos (ADK.V) announced today that it has signed a 7-year contract with Juarez Health & Medical Tourism Cluster (“Cluster”), headquartered in Ciudad Juarez located in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico.
“We plan to allocate DIAGNOS’ turn-key solution in at least 20 sites in the first 2 years of the contract. The deployment will begin on September 25th and we plan to distribute DIAGNOS’ technology in 5 points of care (POC) by the end of 2021”, commented Dr. Lorenzo Soberanes, President and Board Member of the Juarez Health and Medical Tourism Cluster.
Well, I’ll be damned, there’s a state named Chihuahua in Mexico. Believe it or not, chihuahuas, the breed of dog, were first noted in the mid-19th century in the Mexican state of Chihuahua; therefore, chihuahuas were named after Chihuahua. Unfortunately for the little guys, chihuahuas are one of many predisposed breeds at risk of developing primary glaucoma. Similarly, according to prevalence data from Proyecto VER, the estimated number of persons at least 40 years of age with glaucoma in Mexico is 854,000. In 2030, the number of affected persons is estimated to be 1.06 million, increasing to 1.27 million in 2040, and to 1.43 million in 2050. With this in mind, the estimated number of adult people with glaucoma in Mexico is expected to notably increase in the following decades, mainly affecting older people.
To make matters worse, Mexico has a very high rate of diabetes and hypertension among its population. A recent national health survey conducted in Mexico found that the prevalence of self-reported diabetes in Mexico is 1.2%. Keep in mind, self-reporting usually underestimates prevalence by at least 50%, suggesting that there may be as many as 1.7 million persons with diabetes in Mexico, with a prevalence of 6%. Overall, Diabetes is the fifth most prominent cause of death in the Mexican population, accounting for 10% of all deaths. Furthermore, the annual cost of diabetes in Mexico was estimated at USD$15 million for metabolic control, USD$85 million for additional health services and USD$330 million for indirect costs. Keep in mind, diabetes is closely associated with diabetic retinopathy and macular edema, two areas of concern for Diagnos.
“DIAGNOS is proud to have its technology recognized and adopted as a next generation solution for patient screening at Juarez Health and Medical Tourism Cluster members. This agreement is an important step in commercializing the CARA platform in Mexico and Latin America”, said Mr. André Larente, President and CEO DIAGNOS.
The Cluster is a membership-based association that regroups hospitals, clinics, health providers and hotels focused on providing coordinated high-quality care services in the context of medical tourism. Medical tourism refers to when patients leave their country of residence with the intent of accessing medical care abroad. With this in mind, the Cluster represents the finest establishment in Juarez, with over 40 affiliated members and numerous patients being treated daily. Moreover, the Cluster is the only certified health network in Mexico. According to the 7-year contract, the Cluster will become the distributor of Diagnos’ CARA platform in Mexico. the Cluster represents an ideal partner for the Company due to its close ties to the northern region’s health care network as well as in Mexico’s private and public sectors.
