Expanding the Stroke Care Continuum

Kandu provides remote, multidisciplinary support to stroke survivors and care partners in outpatient settings through a team of licensed clinicians and an easy-to-use app. Neurolutions’ IpsiHand^® System is the only noninvasive FDA-cleared breakthrough device that accelerates motor recovery of the affected upper limb after chronic stroke.

By combining the infrastructure and technology of the two companies, Kandu, Inc. is uniquely positioned to provide a breadth of services that have historically been unavailable or inaccessible to stroke survivors: telehealth rehabilitation, therapy monitoring, education, caregiver support, advocacy and navigation. These services empower stroke survivors and their families while enabling healthcare providers and payers to more effectively manage post-stroke care and costs. Kandu and Neurolutions have collected high-quality data about stroke patients’ physiology, activities and clinical outcomes. These proprietary data are being used to develop AI solutions that will deliver workforce efficiency and support exceptional outcomes for stroke survivors.

“This is a merger of complementary companies with aligned missions to improve quality of life for people affected by stroke,” said Kirsten Carroll, CEO of Kandu Health, who will become General Manager of Kandu, Inc. “IpsiHand is the first BCI technology cleared by the FDA for stroke rehabilitation and the first to receive a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement code. Kandu Health has demonstrated dramatically lower rates of hospital readmission and significantly improved functional outcomes in patients recovering from stroke in the home setting. Together, we will continue to break barriers and deliver transformative solutions for stroke recovery.”

Clinical Evidence for Post-Acute Care

Clinical evidence has demonstrated increased independence and lower rates of hospital readmissions for stroke survivors who received Kandu services. More than 80% of the stroke patients achieved independent living at 90 days; and readmission rates for these patients are approximately 50% lower than those in published literature. The Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is a global measure of function after stroke, with scores of 0-2 indicating an ability to live independently. After receiving Kandu services for 90 days, 57% of the stroke survivors saw an improvement in mRS score.¹

In a prospective clinical study of IspiHand, chronic stroke patients with impaired upper extremity motor function were evaluated at 12 weeks. Approximately 70% of stroke survivors experienced improved functional movements of their arm and hand, and all stroke survivors who completed the Arm Motor Ability Test showed clinically significant improvement in functional tasks requiring upper extremity use. Participants also experienced an average improvement of 8.1 points on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, widely regarded as the gold standard for evaluating arm function after stroke.²

Preliminary Outcomes from First Graduates of Kandu’s Program

At SVIN, Dr. Nancey Tsai, Medical Director for Kandu Medical Services and Assistant Professor at MUSC College of Medicine, presented a poster titled, “Preliminary Outcomes of a Survivor-Centric Digital Platform in Stroke Recovery”. The poster shared results from the first 60 graduates of Kandu’s remote post-acute service. In this analysis, Kandu program graduates experienced all-cause inpatient readmission rates of 4% at 30-days and 10% at 90-days; less than half of historically published unplanned readmission rates in similar populations. In addition, at the end of the 90-day program:

• 97% of patients reported medication adherence
• 92% of patients had completed a neurology follow-up
• 100% of patients had established a relationship with a primary care provider

“For our first evidence presented at an academic conference, our goal was to share preliminary outcomes for the patients cared for to date, and demonstrate the feasibility of delivering remote telemedicine services to post-acute stroke survivors,” said Tudor Jovin, MD, Kandu Health’s Chief Medical Officer. “We are excited about the insights and promise demonstrated in these outcomes and look forward to building on this body of work in the coming year.”

“The Neurolutions IpsiHand is a next generation solution that meets stroke survivors where they are and empowers them through advanced thought-driven neurotechnology. By partnering with Kandu Health, we can ensure that individuals who most need the IpsiHand System are able to get it in a timely manner, and with the critical clinical support needed to optimize patient care,” Hosaid Leo Petrossian, CEO of Neurolutions, Inc. “We believe this will significantly expedite the
recovery journey for countless stroke survivors.”

Kandu Health’s expertise in creating tech-enabled solutions for stroke recovery is a strong complement to Neurolutions’ IpsiHand System. Kandu Health’s integrated approach ensures that stroke survivors, clinicians, and care partners are connected, supported, and equipped with the resources throughout the recovery process.

Medgadget had the opportunity to speak with Kandu Health’s CEO Kirsten Carroll about the technology and concept.