Kakao Health-Herings, Tackling Post-Gastrectomy Syndrome Using CGM

Kakao Healthcare announced on the 10th that it will carry out a joint project with DTx-specialized startup Herings to address complications such as hypoglycemic shock frequently experienced by patients who have undergone gastrectomy due to stomach cancer, gastric ulcers, and other issues, utilizing continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and various smart device data. Following the digital healthcare partnership MOU signed in September last year, Kakao Healthcare also decided to make a strategic investment in Herings.

At the digital healthcare partnership MOU signing ceremony held last September, Nam Byung-ho, CEO of Herings, and Hwang Hee, CEO of Kakao Healthcare (from left), are posing for a commemorative photo.

Herings is a DTx-specialized startup that developed the diet management digital platform "Healiary" for cancer patients and the stoma (artificial anus) management solution "OstomyCare." Healiary has built a database of over 5,000 foods and 440 recipes for cancer patients and provides personalized diets tailored to the cancer treatment process and individual nutritional status through a patient-customized diet algorithm. OstomyCare is a platform that enables stoma-attached patients to receive stoma care at home in connection with medical institutions.

The two companies agreed to collaborate on managing "post-gastrectomy syndrome" through this agreement. This syndrome occurs when food ingested after gastrectomy does not undergo normal digestion and rapidly flows into the small intestine. Representative symptoms include postprandial hypoglycemia, dizziness, tachycardia, vomiting, and sweating. In particular, severe postprandial hypoglycemia can have fatal effects on patients.

They focused on the lack of standard diagnostic and management methods for post-gastrectomy syndrome, which leads to inaccurate diagnosis and difficulties in real-time management. First, for patients who have undergone gastrectomy due to stomach cancer, gastric ulcers, and other issues, they plan to introduce a solution that measures real-time blood glucose and biometric signals using CGM and smart devices, analyzes correlations with patient symptoms, and manages the disease in real time. Kakao Healthcare will advance AI analysis technology that predicts the impact on symptoms by analyzing various variables, while Herings will develop algorithms based on nutritional information and diverse clinical results.

Additionally, they plan to proceed with a "post-gastrectomy syndrome" project targeting patients with severe obesity. As the obese population in Korea steadily increases due to high-fat, high-calorie diets, gastrectomy is increasingly recognized as an effective treatment for severe obesity. They intend to first establish clinical foundations domestically and, based on this, pursue entry into global markets such as the United States and enhance their services.

Nam Byung-ho, CEO of Herings, said, “CGM and Kakao Healthcare’s platform will be a game changer not only for diabetic patients but also for patients with other diseases, serving as a particularly useful tool for stomach cancer patients suffering from post-gastrectomy syndrome and severely obese patients.” Hwang Hee, CEO of Kakao Healthcare, also stated, “We are actively forming partnerships with hospitals and healthcare-related startups to lay the foundation for expanding the digital healthcare ecosystem. Together with the digital healthcare alliance, we will contribute to improving public health, seek overseas expansion, and strive for the global growth of K-Healthcare.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.