{"id":15446,"date":"2016-11-17T00:55:52","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T05:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/cue-it-be-real\/"},"modified":"2016-11-17T00:58:20","modified_gmt":"2016-11-17T05:58:20","slug":"cue-it-be-real","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/cue-it-be-real\/","title":{"rendered":"Cue it be real?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine\u2026 what if you could diagnose a disease from the comfort of your home? What if you could track your health progress on a molecular level? What if you can seamlessly do all of this from your smartphone? Stop imagining, its name is Cue.<\/p>\n

\u201cCue is a revolutionary new device that connects you to your health at the molecular level. Simply load a cartridge and add a sample to access deep information about your body, on demand and on your schedule. Discover every day how activity, food, and sleep shape your body’s story. And achieve meaningful, daily improvements to tell a new one.\u201d (Cue) [7]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\"cue<\/a><\/p>\n

This device and its app are able to provide information on Vitamin D, Inflammation, Influenza, Testosterone, and Fertility. It can alert you from basic irregularities and opportunities and also recommend actions based on your results, for example: if you are low on Vitamin D, it can advise you to go for a run and put that on your calendar in your phone [6]<\/sup>. The applications are endless, as technology continues to improve, this device will evolve into more accurate tests, more health factors tracking and seamless interactions with medical professionals.<\/p>\n

The entire business model is leveraging digitalization trends while disrupting a centuries-old industry. Taking invasive blood samples for tests will drop, visits to the hospital for mundane health concerns will drop, mainstream health consciousness will rise, available time for nurses and doctors to do more life-threatening work will rise, communication through digitalization will improve, and the list of benefits goes on and on. \u201cIt makes a really big difference if you can see the actual results for yourself on a daily basis\u201d (Ayub Khattak, Cue founder) [5]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, is this too good to be true? Is this going to become the new Theranos?<\/p>\n

Theranos is a health technology company founded by Elizabeth Holmes in 2003 that reached its peak valuation in 2014 of $9 billion [2]<\/sup>, but today, it is valued only at $800 million [3]<\/sup>. Theranos value proposition was based on the simplification of blood testing by completely replacing the syringe with a new method that draws blood droplets from your fingertips instead of the usual invasive method. After some detailed investigations from the Wall Street Journal, the FDA and the SEC regarding the accuracy of their tests and the argument of misleading investors, the valuation dropped significantly and the company became practically worthless.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a long discussion well explained in Christina Farr\u2019s article referenced in my bibliography regarding the type of investments made in the health care industry, especially in new ventures such as Theranos [1]<\/sup>. So, how do we know if Cue is going to become the new Theranos? There are a couple of arguments that I would like to bring up on why this isn\u2019t going to happen:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cue is not trying to replace anybody.<\/strong> This product is focused on leveraging the modern digital interactions that we have every day with our smartphones and how these are going to become more intimate in the future by providing us with basic, but extremely powerful information.<\/li>\n
  2. Cue is enhancing interactions. <\/strong>Imagine if this product can provide daily tracking data not only to the patient\u00a0but also to his doctor on his smartphone automatically. The rapidness of this information will allow the physician to have more updated data and therefore be able to detect any particular deviation from a medical plan.<\/li>\n
  3. Cue is focused on lifestyle.<\/strong> People are becoming more health conscious as the new generations start to take control, and these people want to know more information, more detailed and become more involved. Cue will provide this service through its digital platform and device.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    On the other hand, there is still a lot to be done to reach mass production and mainstream population. One of the key things I would like to see Cue do is to partner with hospitals that scientifically challenge Cue\u2019s tests accuracy and get to an agreement on what are the things Cue can detect and advise. This was a big issue with Theranos and could be the key to reaching its full potential in the upcoming years.<\/p>\n

    Whether it is Theranos, Cue or any other health technology company, this trend is live and growing and will happen in the foreseeable future. It is in Cue\u2019s hands to learn from Theranos\u2019 mistakes and be cautious but inspirational on the way it positions its product and service to the consumer, the medical community, and the investors.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Word count: 749<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Bibliography:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Farr, Christina. \u201cThe Theranos Scandal Is Just The Beginning\u201d. Fastcompany, 2016. https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/3059230\/the-theranos-scandal-is-just-the-beginning<\/a> accessed November 2016.<\/li>\n
    2. Parloff, Roger. \u201cThis CEO is out for blood\u201d. Fortune, June 2014. http:\/\/fortune.com\/2014\/06\/12\/theranos-blood-holmes\/<\/a> accessed November\u00a02016.<\/li>\n
    3. Herper, Matthew. \u201cFrom $4.5 Billion To Nothing: Forbes Revises Estimated Net Worth Of Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes\u201d. Forbes, June 2016. http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/matthewherper\/2016\/06\/01\/from-4-5-billion-to-nothing-forbes-revises-estimated-net-worth-of-theranos-founder-elizabeth-holmes\/#286c2d232f29<\/a> accessed November 2016.<\/li>\n
    4. Lomas, Natasha. \u201cCue Draws In $7.5M For Its Health Tracking Lab-In-A-Box\u201d. Techcrunch, November 2014. https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2014\/11\/19\/cue-series-a\/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29<\/a> accessed November 2016.<\/li>\n
    5. Winter, Caroline. \u201cCue Home Test Kit Tracks Fertility, Flu, Other Results\u201d. Bloomberg, July 2014. http:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2014-07-10\/cue-home-test-kit-tracks-fertility-flu-other-results<\/a> accessed November 2016.<\/li>\n
    6. \u201cIntroducing Cue\u201d. Youtube, published May 12, 2014. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=32YwVuiAgEg<\/a> accessed November 2016.<\/li>\n
    7. Cue Inc. \u201cProduct\u201d. https:\/\/cue.me\/product<\/a> accessed November 2016.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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