Germany-based healthcare company Bayer has unveiled its plans to acquire HiDoc Technologies in the first quarter of 2025 and commercialise HiDoc’s Cara Care application.
Cara Care is a digital health application prescribed for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and offers a novel, holistic therapeutic approach for patients with IBS.
The app integrates multidisciplinary approaches for the treatment of gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach and irregular bowel movements.
Its personalised modules allow patients to understand their condition better, along with better control over the symptoms and improved quality of life.
Bayer vital senior HCP marketing manager Linda Obermeyr said: “The Cara Care digital health app is another important therapeutic component that enables physicians to provide sustainable, guideline-compliant care for their patients.
“We are confident that with the digital support of the Cara Care app, patients will be able to expand their own understanding and modify their behaviour to find effective relief from the symptoms of IBS and return to a markedly higher quality of life.”
HiDoc Technologies CEO Jim Mapes said: “Many people are looking for ways to become more self-reliant, and that applies to the area of healthcare as well.
“Digital health applications are a good way of providing holistic, sustainable therapeutic approaches. This was always our goal for Cara Care and it is also perfectly in line with Bayer’s vision of ‘Health for all, Hunger for none’.”
Bayer said that HiDoc’s Cara Care application is an evidence-based and guideline-compliant therapeutic option for IBS.
The digital health application features integrated Diet and Psychology elements in a biopsychosocial model to enable complete care for people with IBS.
Also, Cara Care provides patients an individualised, customised, evidence-based therapy based on medical questionnaires and enables a personalised modular setup.
The proposed acquisition of HiDoc will expand its portfolio in the field of digital healthcare and extends its engagement in the area of self-medication, said Bayer.
Bayer Vital Germany and Austria cluster consumer health head Tobias Boldt said: “We saw an opportunity to combine a strong, scientifically sound app with our many years of experience in the field of gastroenterology, and in this way to create added value for patients.
“We will work to make sure that this digital health application becomes even more user-friendly and instructive through training sessions, test accounts, videos and dialogs with Bayer’s field force.”
Bayer consumer health division R&D, strategic marketing and digital head David Evendon-Challis said: “IBS is common and highly disruptive to sufferers, but its complexity means that many patients struggle to understand the condition, risk factors and preventive measures.
“This latest milestone in our precision health strategy means that we will be able to offer a digital tool to help them understand, manage and treat their IBS better. It will also give them greater control over the condition by facilitating conversations with their HCP.”
