mHealthPharma's 2016 deck centers on the transition of mobile health from 'wellness' to 'disease and treatment.' By positioning their myHTN product as an FDA-cleared prescription therapy rather than a generic tracking app, they address a critical gap in the market: clinical validity. The deck highlights a 5.3mmHg reduction in blood pressure over six months (Slide 4) and a patent-pending methodology filed in February 2016 (Slide 5). While the deck successfully identifies the regulatory moat, it relies heavily on external market forecasts from The Economist and BCC Research (Slide 6) rather tha…
Key takeaways
- The company defines its mission as creating FDA-cleared mobile prescription therapies for chronic diseases, starting with hypertension (Slide 2).
- The myHTN solution integrates Bluetooth blood pressure cuffs with clinical guidelines from JCN8 and JAMA (Slide 3).
- Clinical evidence is a core pillar, citing a study showing a 5.3mmHg reduction in blood pressure over 6 months (Slide 4).
- Intellectual property is anchored by a 'Medical Condition Management System' patent filed in February 2016 (Slide 5).
- Market strategy leverages a shift where 'Disease and Treatment' apps are predicted to grow significantly compared to general fitness apps (Slide 6).
- The marketing plan is multi-faceted, targeting patients via social media, physicians via journals, and payers like Medicare/Medicaid (Slide 7).
- The deck uses a competitor case study (Medisafe) to highlight the value of clinical validation over simple medication reminders (Slide 9).
- The funding roadmap is divided into three distinct phases, moving from a completed self-funded prototype to a planned $6M-$10M Series A (Slide 10).
Slide-by-Slide Teardown
Slide 1: Title Slide
The title slide establishes the company name, mHealthPharma, and its core value proposition: 'Makers of FDA-Cleared Mobile Prescription Therapies.' The background image features multiple people using smartphones, emphasizing the 'mobile' aspect of the business. The copyright date is listed as 2016.
Slide 2: Company Mission
This slide defines the company's scope. mHealthPharma Inc. (mHP) is focused on the design, build, marketing, and sale of FDA-cleared mobile prescription therapies for chronic diseases. It specifies that the first product in development targets hypertension (high blood pressure). The use of red text for 'FDA-cleared mobile prescription therapies' and 'hypertension' highlights the regulatory and medical focus.
Slide 3: Solution myHTN: Evidence-Based
Slide 3 introduces the product name, myHTN. It emphasizes that recommendations are based on 2014 Evidence-Based Guidelines (JCN8, JAMA). The system architecture is shown as a Bluetooth connection between an FDA-approved blood pressure cuff and a smartphone app. The app interface displayed shows a 'BP AVERAGE: 152/94mmHg' with a large 'ABOVE TARGET' warning, demonstrating the user interface's clinical feedback loop.
Slide 4: myHTN: Clinical Validation
This slide reinforces the clinical nature of the product. It claims myHTN is the 'first mobile prescription therapy for hypertension.' Crucially, it cites a study result: a 5.3mmHg reduction in blood pressure over 6 months. It displays the FDA Approved logo and a graphic representing a randomized control trial (Study Population, Control vs. Treatment, Follow-up). A prescription pad icon labeled 'myHTN x 12mo' suggests the product is intended to be prescribed by doctors.
Slide 5: Product Differentiation: Patent-Pending Technology
The company highlights its intellectual property, noting a patent filed with the USPTO in February 2016 for a 'Medical Condition Management System.' A technical flowchart (Figure 1 from a patent filing) shows the interaction between a 'Medical Professional,' a 'Patient Record' database, a 'Processor,' and the 'Patient Device.' This slide aims to prove the defensibility of their software architecture.
Slide 6: mHealth Market Forecasts
Using data from The Economist, BCC Research, and IMS Health, this slide provides market context. It shows a forecast for mobile-health revenue growing to over $20 billion by 2018. A second chart, 'From wellness to not-so-wellness,' shows that while fitness apps dominated in 2015, there is a significant segment for 'Disease-specific' and 'Medication reminders' (Disease and Treatment) that mHealthPharma intends to capture.
Slide 7: Marketing Strategy
The marketing plan is split into three categories: Patients, Physicians, and Payers. For patients, they propose digital campaigns and social networking. For physicians, they suggest medical journals, conferences, and 'door-to-door sales.' For payers, they target Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers. The slide also mentions strategic partnerships with pharma and insurance companies. An image of a businessman climbing a rock face with a briefcase adds a visual metaphor for the 'Pharmaceutical Sales' effort.
Slide 8: mHealth Landscape
This slide serves as a 'Problem' or 'Competitor' slide. It cites a report from the Journal of American Society of Hypertension stating that many apps make medical claims without clinical validation or FDA approval. It includes a snippet of a research paper titled 'A content analysis of smartphone-based applications for hypertension management,' which concludes there is a need for greater oversight in medical app development.
Slide 9: Case Study: MediSafe
mHealthPharma uses MediSafe as a benchmark. It notes MediSafe's success (2.2M downloads, $6M raised, declined $25M acquisition) but contrasts it with their own approach. While MediSafe focuses on medication reminders and 'collecting user data for marketing,' mHealthPharma implies their value lies in the clinical validation and prescription model that MediSafe lacks.
Slide 10: Funding Roadmap
The final slide in this set outlines three phases. Phase 0 (Self-funded) is marked 'COMPLETED,' including a prototype and a 30-patient pilot trial. Phase 1 seeks $250K-$300K from Friends, Family, and Angels to complete the pilot, clear the product with the FDA, and recruit leadership. Phase 2 targets a $6M-$10M Series A to conduct a full-scale clinical trial, grow the sales team, and achieve profitability. The slide uses a visual of a smartphone filling with gold coins to represent the stages of funding.
What Works
Regulatory Focus: The deck correctly identifies that the 'Wild West' of health apps is a weakness in the market. By leaning heavily into FDA clearance and clinical guidelines (JAMA, JCN8), they position themselves as a serious medical player rather than a lifestyle app.
Clinical Evidence: Citing a specific metric (5.3mmHg reduction) gives investors a tangible result to evaluate. In the world of digital therapeutics, data is the primary currency, and mHealthPharma leads with it.
Clear Roadmap: The three-phase plan is logical. It shows that the founders have already put skin in the game (Phase 0 completed) and have a clear understanding of the capital requirements for regulatory hurdles and clinical trials.
What is Missing
Team Slide: In this 10-slide selection, there is no mention of the founders or their backgrounds. For a medical startup, the credentials of the medical and technical team are paramount. Without knowing if there are MDs or regulatory experts on staff, the claims of 'FDA-cleared' are harder to verify.
Unit Economics: While the deck mentions targeting 'Payers,' it does not explain the reimbursement model. How much will a prescription cost? What is the expected LTV (Life Time Value) of a patient vs. the CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) through a 'door-to-door' physician sales force?
Competitive Matrix: While it mentions MediSafe, it lacks a standard competitive grid comparing features, regulatory status, and clinical outcomes against other direct competitors in the hypertension space.
Founder Takeaways
Use Regulatory as a Moat: If your product requires FDA approval, don't hide the cost and time—highlight the barrier to entry it creates for competitors. mHealthPharma does this effectively by citing the lack of validation in the broader app market.
Cite Authoritative Sources: Using The Economist and medical journals adds a layer of professionalism and third-party validation that generic market size claims lack.
Visualizing the Tech: Slide 5’s patent diagram is a good way to show that there is 'real' technology behind the app. It moves the conversation from 'we have an app' to 'we have a patented medical system.'
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary product offered by mHealthPharma?
- The primary product is myHTN, described as the first mobile prescription therapy for hypertension. It combines an FDA-approved personal blood pressure device with a mobile app that provides recommendations based on evidence-based clinical guidelines, specifically JCN8 and JAMA standards from 2014.
- How does mHealthPharma differentiate itself from other health apps?
- The company differentiates itself through regulatory compliance and clinical validation. Slide 8 notes that many hypertension apps make medical claims without FDA approval. mHealthPharma positions itself as a 'medical device' with a patent-pending methodology and clinical trial results showing measurable blood pressure reduction.
- What is the current stage of the company according to the deck?
- As of the deck's publication, the company had completed 'Phase 0,' which was self-funded. This included developing a working prototype, filing a USPTO patent, and preparing for a 30-patient pilot clinical trial. They were seeking $250K-$300K for 'Phase 1' to complete the pilot and clear the product with the FDA.
- What is the proposed revenue and marketing model?
- The marketing strategy targets three groups: Patients (via digital campaigns), Physicians (via journals and door-to-door sales), and Payers (Medicare/Medicaid and private insurers). They also aim for strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Revenue generation and profitability are slated for the Series A phase.
- What intellectual property does the company claim?
- The company claims a patent-pending technology for a 'Medical Condition Management System,' filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office in February 2016. Slide 5 illustrates a technical schematic involving a processor, patient records, and communication loops between medical professionals and patient devices.
