ResApp Health bounces back with ‘positive top-line results’ in adult respiratory disease study

ResApp Health (ASX: RAP) has reported “positive top-line results” from an adult clinical study, with the company’s smartphone app able to accurately diagnose all lower respiratory tract diseases evaluated in the study.

Today’s positive news follows preliminary results from a trial evaluating the efficacy of the app in childhood acute respiratory diseases in late October last year.

The United States-based childhood respiratory study achieved positive percent agreement between 73% and 78% and negative percent agreement between 71% and 86% compared to clinical diagnosis.

However, results for pneumonia and bronchiolitis were less than 70%.

The results triggered ResApp’s share price to collapse from an open of $0.22 on 29 October to a $0.09 low on 30 October.

Commenting on the results, ResApp chief executive officer and managing director Tony Keating said different clinical practices between Australia and the US could be a contributing factor.

In these latest Australian-based adult study results, the smartphone app, which uses ResApp’s algorithms, achieved greater than 86% positive and negative agreement in lower respiratory tract diseases and pneumonia when compared to clinical diagnosis.

The adult clinical study found the app accurately diagnosed pneumonia, asthma exacerbations, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its exacerbations.

Mr Keating said the adult study results were “exciting”.

“Not only do we have outstanding results for the diagnosis of acute respiratory disease in adults, we also have compelling data on the identification of exacerbations in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as the ability to screen for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the general population,” Mr Keating explained.

The adult study comprised 979 people and ResApp’s algorithms achieved 88% positive percent agreement in lower respiratory tract disease compared to clinical diagnosis, which, where necessary, included a full examination and results from microbiology, chest X-ray, CT, spirometry and bronchodilator testing.

Additionally, 89% negative percent agreement was noted compared to clinical diagnosis.

Similar accuracy levels were also demonstrated for pneumonia, which is the most common illness-related cause of adult hospital admissions.

“These results underpin the commercialisation of a range of smartphone-based acute diagnostic and chronic disease management tools, and we intend to use this data to support CE and Therapeutic Goods Administration regulatory submissions,” Mr Keating said.

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

According to ResApp, around 339 million people suffer from asthma and a further 251 million people are believed to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Exacerbations can worsen symptoms of both diseases, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations among the leading causes of adult hospital admissions and re-admissions across the globe.

ResApp’s algorithms can identify both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute asthma exacerbations, which could potentially lead to earlier, more effective treatment and the ability to develop good disease management.

“Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations have a major impact on patient quality of life and the ability to identify exacerbations early will help patients and their doctors better manage their disease,” GenesisCare respiratory physician Dr Scott Claxton noted.

“Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease screening in primary care has the potential to reduce the significant number of people who have undiagnosed, untreated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and provide them with treatment that can help improve their quality of life and reduce their risk of death,” Dr Claxton added.

Today’s news sent ResApp’s share price soaring 32% to hit $0.165 by late morning.