Roche develops smartphone app for monitoring Parkinson’s disease

Roche is to launch a smartphone application that can be used to monitor fluctuations associated with Parkinson's disease.

The smartphone-based monitoring system complements traditional physician-led assessments with automated tests that continuously measure symptom fluctuations, giving a clearer insight into disease and symptom severity.

Users are expected to follow a daily routine consisting of active tests of voice, balance, gait, dexterity and tremors, followed by passive monitoring. These assessments are designed to provide information on a person's symptoms, their progress and impact on daily life.

The app is being used in a phase I trial run by Prothena and has been developed for the Android operating system.

Anirvan Ghosh, head of neuroscience discovery for Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, said: "We hope the app can be used in future clinical development to enable more objective measures on response to treatment to complement doctor assessments."

The company achieved year-on-year growth of six percent in the first half of 2015.