GMV’s healthcare technology idea called “Integral Treatment in Cardiology” (In Spanish: “Manejo Integral en Cardiología", shortened to MICA) has made it through to the final of the “Innovating Together” (Innovando Juntos) competition, in the “Cardiology Challenge” (Reto Cardio) category. This competition, designed for healthcare technology companies, sets out to seek solutions for healthcare’s main technological challenges. It is promoted by the biopharmaceutical company MSD, the universities of Malaga and Sevilla, the Science-Technology Parks of Cartuja (Seville) and PTA (Malaga) and the Technological Corporation of Andalusia (Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía: CTA).

In the words of Inmaculada Pérez Garro, GMV’s Healthcare Manager, “GMV’s solution will help to reduce the cardiologist’s workload by standardizing treatment for each particular pathology”. She adds, “it will also cut down clinical variability, boost patient safety and open new lines of research into the therapeutic approach”.

The winner’s name will be announced on 11 September in the University of Malaga, where GMV will be publically defending its candidature. The winner will then collaborate with the Andalusian Cardiology Society (Sociedad Andaluza de Cardiología: SAC) to fine tune its idea to suit the needs of clinicians. As the GMV executive points out “it would be a real privilege for us to collaborate with a team of top experts committed to promoting the study, prevention and treatment of heart diseases, the main cause of death in Spain even though most of the risk factors are known and modifiable”.

In the opinion of the “Innovando Juntos” jury president, Eduardo de Teresa, chair-holding cardiology professor of the University of Malaga (UMA) and head of the cardiology service of the Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria", “Some very interesting ideas have been put forward, all adhering to the competition’s remit of coming up with innovation-based, transversal solutions to fill unmet clinical needs”.

For his part, José Miguel Ruiz, manager of the Southern Region of the MSD’s Primary Care Area, believes that the “Innovando Juntos” project will help to “generate technology solutions for healthcare management challenges and is part and parcel of MSD’s ongoing determination to drive healthcare R&D in the interests of ensuring patient welfare”.

Also forming part of the Cardiology Challenge jury are Felipe Romera, general manager of the Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía (PTA); Juan Teodomiro López- Navarrete, Vice Rector of Research and Technology Transfer of the Universidad de Málaga (UMA); and Juan José Gómez Doblas, President of the Sociedad Andaluza de Cardiología (SAC).