UCB and Verint Announce Launch of UCB’s PD Coach App, Powered by Verint’s Intelligent Virtual Assistant

Today, UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company working in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other chronic illnesses, and Verint^® Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: VRNT), The Customer Engagement Company^™, announced the release of UCB’s PD Coach app equipped with a patented conversational, virtual health assistant named “April,” powered by Verint’s Intelligent Virtual Assistant(IVA) solution.

April utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) technology to offer continuous support and encourage patient adherence, transforming the way patients interact with their healthcare. Verint automation is powering UCB’s innovative, patient-centric app—a solution that modernizes patient interactions and improves the overall patient journey for those with Parkinson’s disease, regardless of treatment.

Digital health coaches provide an opportunity for modern, convenient and continuous care, especially for those suffering from chronic illnesses, such as Parkinson’s disease.

“At UCB, we keep patients at the heart of everything we do. Our PD Coach, April, offers a vital support system to people living with and caring for those with Parkinson’s disease, leveraging AI technology to provide ongoing, personalized support, and access to the resources they need,” said Mike Davis, Head of UCB’s U.S. Neurology Patient Value Unit.

Davis continues, “We designed the PD Coach to address specific challenges that Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers may face—including its unique ability to learn and adjust to language and vocabulary for patients with dexterity and speech issues. With insights from patients on the challenges they face with disease management, April was created as more than a resource to offer information. April is designed to build a relationship with the patient and help deliver what patients value when it comes to their care.”

PD Coach April leverages Verint’s Alme^® Platform and Behavioral Observation System (BOS) module, allowing her to conduct evidence-based skillful conversations to actively and safely engage consumers in a way that feels natural. This platform also provides the PD Coach with general knowledge related to Parkinson’s disease, enabling April to speak with patients specifically about the realities of their chronic disease.

“We are proud to be part of this new, leading-edge digital innovation that will be accessible to Parkinson’s disease patients and caregivers. This AI and automation-powered technology creates a new avenue for patients to turn to for help and guidance that has the convenience of an app,” says Verint’s Michael Southworth, general manager, intelligent self-service. “AI and intelligent assistant technology has the ability to transform healthcare and access for patients. With April, we’ve built a resource that can truly meet patients where they are and allow them to take greater control of their health.”

At launch, April’s key capabilities and features include journaling and symptom tracking. She also has features relating directly to Parkinson’s disease and caregiving, with knowledge that encompasses the following topic areas: PD diagnosis and symptoms, PD progression, UCB patient services, and patient support groups and events. As an AI assistant, April will consistently improve and grow her knowledge with oversight from trainers, personalizing her care support based on the needs of patients and helping them attain real health outcomes.

PD Coach is available now in the Apple and Android app stores. Anyone can download and begin using this digital health coach to help manage Parkinson’s disease.

To learn more about UCB and April, visit: www.ucb-usa.com. For more information about Verint’s Intelligent Self-Service automation portfolio, click here.

About UCB

At UCB, everything we do starts with a simple question: “How will this make a difference to the lives of people living with severe diseases?” We have a passionate, long-term commitment to discovering and developing innovative medicines that transform the lives of people living with severe diseases. We do that by connecting with patients and their families around the world living with the physical and social burdens of severe disease. Those connections offer new perspectives, drive innovation, and offer the hope of a new generation of therapies that are helping to transform lives.

With a team of approximately 7,500 employees and operations in more than 40 countries, we are a global biopharmaceutical company investing more than a quarter of our revenue in cutting-edge scientific research to meet unmet patient needs. Global headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, with U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Additional U.S. UCB sites include global clinical development at our Research Triangle Park, North Carolina campus (UCB Biosciences, Inc.), and research supporting UCB’s pipeline in Cambridge, Massachusetts.