Dublin/Frankfurt, 27 November, 2024 - Merz Therapeutics launches iFlexo, a personalized digital solution aimed at enhancing rehabilitation for people with post-stroke spasticity as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting stroke survivors. 

The app, developed in collaboration with S3 Connected Health, provides targeted exercises and rehabilitation programs specifically aimed at improving mobility for those with mild to moderate spasticity. By offering guided routines, iFlexo aims to help stroke survivors regain independence and improve their overall quality of life. Merz Therapeutics is the first and only neurotoxins pharmaceutical company to offer a platform to support self-rehabilitation. 

iFlexo, developed and operated on S3 Connected Health’s digital health platform Affinial, was released in August 2024 and is available for iOS and Android in France. Developing iFlexo on Affinial enabled the creation of a differentiated user experience optimized for post-stroke patients. An accelerated time to market of just five months was achieved thanks to Affinial’s range of pre-built, customizable digital health services. The Affinial platform enables iFlexo to scale and evolve by addressing current and future compliance, legal, cybersecurity, and regulatory requirements. During the pilot stage in France, it gained significant interest from patients, clinicians, and key opinion leaders. 

Dr. Alexandre Bertholon, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Le Clos Champirol, says: "iFlexo is a promising solution in physical rehabilitation, offering a much-needed response to the current challenges in the field. It enables patients to engage in self-rehabilitation at home, focusing on their personal goals. This platform not only supports patients but also enhances efficiency for healthcare professionals by optimizing and extending the results of rehabilitation. It demonstrates how new solutions can improve patient outcomes and make care more effective.”

Up to one-third of stroke survivors experience spasticity, a condition that can severely limit their ability to perform everyday tasks, often leaving them reliant on others.[1] For these individuals, personalized botulinum neurotoxin injection therapy as part of a multimodal approach can improve muscle tone and consequently patient’s mobility and quality of life. [2]

Merz Therapeutics and S3 Connected Health are committed to providing better outcomes for more patients and are currently working on expanding the solution to more countries, starting in the coming months.

[1] Ali, A., McCarthy, A.D., Reeves, M. et al. Sheffield Adaptive Patterned Electrical Stimulation (SHAPES) Therapy for Post Stroke Arm spasticity: study protocol for a 3-arm, a partially blinded, randomised controlled trial. BMC Neurol 24, 437 (2024).

[2] Otero-Luis I, Martinez-Rodrigo A, Cavero-Redondo I, Moreno-Herráiz N, Martínez-García I, Saz-Lara A. Effect of Botulinum Toxin Injections in the Treatment of Spasticity of Different Etiologies: An Umbrella Review. Pharmaceuticals. 2024; 17(3):310.