On a quest to bring its endorphin-stimulating technology to the 1.5 billion people around the world dealing with chronic pain, a French startup has found its new deputy chief in the upper echelons of Big Pharma.
Remedee Labs has tapped Gilles Litman to oversee its efforts to continue developing chronic pain management devices and software and bring its existing products to market.
Litman joins Remedee after a more than 20-year stint at Sanofi. Most recently, he spent just under two years as vice president of digital health, scaling up the pharmaceutical giant’s virtual healthcare offerings and spearheading a new data and digital strategy for the company.
Prior to that, Litman was vice president of global integrated care in Sanofi’s diabetes and cardiovascular division for about three years. In that role, he oversaw efforts to go “beyond the drug” to treat diabetes and cardiovascular conditions with medical devices and digital services. He also served as Sanofi’s representative within Onduo, the joint venture formed by Sanofi and Verily to build new digital solutions for diabetes management.
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Now, as chief business officer and deputy CEO of Remedee, Litman will lead the startup’s international growth and product development. First on his agenda is the rollout of the Remedee Digital Service Platform, where patients with chronic pain can receive remote support from their medical providers and health coaches around the clock and track their treatment progress.
The platform works in tandem with Remedee’s other product, a wearable endorphin stimulator. The wrist-worn device emits millimeter waves to send an ultra-high-frequency electronic signal to sensory receptors just under the skin, encouraging the brain to release endorphins. Remedee’s clinical studies have shown that this form of painless nerve stimulation can rapidly reduce pain levels and help patients feel happier overall.
The platform is currently being developed for the management of fibromyalgia, alongside a clinical trial of the wearable device’s ability to lessen pain caused by the rheumatic condition.
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Remedee also plans to expand its products’ reach to a variety of chronic pain-causing conditions, including endometriosis and cancer. Clinical studies are already in progress to study the wearable’s effects on surgical pain, migraines, osteoarthritis and physiotherapy.
Litman’s expansion efforts at Remedee will be backed by venture funding that includes a $12 million series A closed in November 2019. That financing was led by VC firm Hardware Club and also included participation from Habert-Dassault Finance, Partech, C4 Ventures, Supernova Invest and several private investors.