Philips and Merck are partnering to advance personalised fertility treatment using remote patient monitoring, cloud-based platform services and mobile, AI-enabled ultrasound diagnostics.

Dutch technology giant Philips has announced a multi-year partnership with Merck, a New Jersey-based science and technology company, to develop clinical-grade digital products for personalised fertility treatment.

Leveraging digital health technologies, informatics and mobile AI-enabled ultrasound diagnostics, these products will aim to inform patients and clinicians about the choice and timing of fertility treatment to increase the chances of conception. 

“At Philips we are leading digital transformation in healthcare, with a portfolio for both professionals and consumers to support parents-to-be through pregnancy and the first years of their baby’s life,” said Jeroen Tas, chief innovation officer at Philips. “The journey for aspiring parents is sometimes a difficult one, and by collaborating with Merck, a world leader in fertility treatment, we aim to develop integrated digital solutions that improve the patient experience and can ultimately have a positive impact on health outcomes.”

He said the partnership built on the firm’s expertise in maternal and foetal monitoring, its Pregnancy+ and Baby+ consumer engagement apps, ultrasound products, and its HealthSuite cloud and AI platform.

Jan Kirsten, head of global business franchise for fertility at Merck, added: “With Philips, we have a partner that shares our belief in the potential of digital health to improve the patient experience, bringing a wealth of experience in connected care to our offering. Together, this collaboration will push our two companies to think beyond tomorrow and discover new solutions that can empower people to realise their dreams of parenthood.”

Digital health and virtual care technologies have proved invaluable during the Covid-19 pandemic in keeping patients and their care teams in virtual contact, accelerating digital transformation in healthcare. Digital technologies including remote patient monitoring, cloud-based services and AI are playing a more important part in achieving better patient outcomes, better patient and staff experiences, and low cost of care.

“We believe that the future of IVF will be unlocked through digital health technologies that empower professionals and patients to be better connected,” said Michelangelo Canzoneri, head of digital and data healthcare at Merck.