Verizon, NantWorks Partner to Put Cancer Info at Doc's Fingertips

Verizon Communications and NantWorks, a California-based technology and healthcare company, announced today they will work together on an integrated information infrastructure that equips healthcare providers with the most up-to-date treatment protocols for specific cancer conditions right from their mobile devices, according to a press release.

Called the Cancer Knowledge Action Network, the new alliance will allow doctors to research protocols for the treatment of specific cancer conditions right at their fingertips, over their smartphones or tablets.

Verizon’s and NantWorks’ partnership will provide a cloud-based solution for pulling together the protocols as they relate to cancer research.

The agreement between the companies will combine NantWorks’ healthcare technologies and Verizon’s platform-based health IT portfolio, according to a story by Bailey McCann.

The partnership follows Verizon’s recent merger of its wired and wireless services and IT and network assets to form an integrated health IT organization.

McCann writes that Verizon’s health IT practice – Verizon Connected Healthcare Solutions – comprises $5 billion of the company’s overall portfolio. The practice also recently joined with Duke University and Health Evolution Partners on two separate health IT ventures.

“The future of medicine is digital and mobile,” said Soon-Shiong, founder and CEO of NantWorks. “NantWorks and Verizon share a common vision for the transformation of the health care industry through ‘big data.’ As one of our first targets, we will explore ways to translate the massive amounts of data available on cancer treatment. Our goal is turn this data into actionable information at the point of care, enabling better care through mobile devices in hospitals, clinics and homes.”

Last year NantWorks announced it would join with Vodafone on developing wireless-enabled remote patient monitoring systems, the press release noted. Vodafone and Verizon are co-owners of Verizon Wireless. “With Vodafone’s global mobile network, and its partner Verizon Wireless here in the United States, Vodafone is truly a global mobile powerhouse,” Soon-Shiong was quoted at the time.

Included among its other recent announcements, NantWorks said in March it had acquired remote monitoring technology company, Boston Life Labsdevelops and manufactures plug-and-play telehealth solutions. , which

NantWorks’ other acquisitions over the years include Vitality, maker of the medication adherence device GlowCap, and iVisit, which has developed the LookTel app for the visually impaired, which launched earlier this year, according to the source.

The company is also working with Toumaz to bring that company’s peel-and-stick vital sign monitoring sensors to the U.S. market.