Health & Fitness
Health and Fitness
Health and Fitness
Wed, January 7, 2009
Tue, January 6, 2009 Robert Bosch North America: Robert Bosch North America, Healthways Announce Availability of Single License for Joint Patent Por
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI and NASHVILLE, TN--(Marketwire - January 6, 2009) - Robert Bosch North America, Inc. (RBNA) and Healthways Inc. (
Both companies collectively hold extensive catalogs of patents in the U.S. and other countries in the area of remote health monitoring, automated diagnostics and disease management. The combined portfolio will give licensees the right to practice over 105 U.S. patents, 154 U.S. patent applications and 78 corresponding non-U.S patents.
The joint licensing program announced today will be managed by Health Hero Network (HHN), a wholly owned subsidiary of RBNA. Health Hero Network will be able to offer licensees a single license that, depending on the needs of the licensee, may include patents owned by Healthways and Health Hero Network. A licensee may elect to take a license from Health Hero Network under the Healthways patents -- alone or in combination with the Health Hero Network patents.
"In recent years, health care costs in the United States have relentlessly increased," said Derek Newell, president of Health Hero Network. "With this increase in costs, employers, payers, and providers will continue to turn to technology as a critical part of their solutions both for their disease management and wellness programs."
"Under this single license available from Health Hero Network, manufacturers who develop products, and companies that provide health management services can conveniently obtain rights to both the Health Hero Network and Healthways patents," Newell continued. "This agreement will make it easier for the marketplace to utilize the innovations owned by Health Hero Network and Healthways to extend the range of health management solutions available in our industry."
"The market demand for comprehensive, integrated health, wellness, prevention and care management solutions, including automated patient diagnostic activity and the accurate retrieval of healthcare information by consumers and all of their providers, will require defined technologies that automate the proven processes the industry currently provides to its customers and to the millions of individuals who participate in our programs," said Ben R. Leedle, Jr., CEO of Healthways. "We are excited to share with Health Hero Network, and make available through this single license opportunity, the extensive intellectual property portfolios we both own and maintain in order to better serve our customers and business partners."
The joint patent license contains a provision that waives royalties for practice of the technologies for the period prior to Dec. 31, 2008 for companies who become licensees on or before June 1, 2009.
Joint licensing programs provide the market with a convenient and cost-effective way to obtain licenses to the patents essential to practice health management technologies. The programs encourage greater adoption of the critical technologies in a cost-effective manner.
Companies that sell, offer, make or use products and services that practice remote health management or disease management should contact Sandeep Jaggi, Sr. Vice President of Intellectual Property at Health Hero Network ([ sandeep.jaggi@us.bosch.com ]), to learn more about the joint patent license and to request a sample agreement for review.
Specific inquiries regarding Healthways participation in the joint patent licensing program should be directed to Healthways Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Mary Chaput ([ mary.chaput@healthways.com ]).
About the Bosch Group and Health Hero Network
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 272,000 associates generated sales of 46.1 billion euros ($63.2 billion) in fiscal 2007. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 300 subsidiary and regional companies in over 50 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch spends more than three billion euros each year for research and development, and in 2006 applied for over 3,000 patents worldwide. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering."
In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial automation and mobile products, power tools and accessories, security technology, thermo-technology, packaging equipment and household appliances. Bosch employs approximately 25,000 associates in more than 70 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with reported sales of $9.5 billion in fiscal 2007. For more information on the company, visit [ www.boschusa.com ].
Based in Palo Alto, Health Hero Network develops and markets the Health Buddy System for health improvement. The Health Buddy System serves as the interface between patients at home and care providers, facilitating monitoring of and self-management support for patients with chronic conditions. The System includes monitoring technologies, clinical information databases, Internet-enabled decision support tools, health management programs and content development tools. Through increased communication, behavior modification, and prevention, the Health Buddy System improves the quality of patient care. Health Hero Network's systems are protected by 57 issued US patents. For more information, visit [ www.healthhero.com ].
About Healthways
Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive Health and Care Support(SM) solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and, as a result, reduce overall healthcare costs. Healthways' solutions are designed to help healthy individuals stay healthy, mitigate and slow the progression of disease associated with family or lifestyle risk factors and promote the best possible health for those already affected by disease. Our proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Healthways also provides a national, fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional healthcare system. For more information, please visit [ www.healthways.com ].
