Newtopia’s disease prevention platform offered by Aetna

TORONTO – Newtopia announced that it has signed a commercial agreement with Aetna to begin offering its enterprise health engagement platform to Aetna’s largest employer customers and their employees. Newtopia is a leading personalized health company that uses genetic testing and behavioral science to build highly personalized disease prevention plans.

The agreement follows the successful completion of a robust pilot program with Aetna employees who had, or were at risk for, Metabolic Syndrome, a condition that increases an individual’s chance of developing diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. By analyzing key health markers and health benefit claims in the pilot program, Aetna verified that participants lost weight, reduced their waist size and had high levels of engagement in the program.

“Our collaboration with Aetna has highlighted the potential of personalized health prevention to help individuals address Metabolic Syndrome,” said Jeff Ruby (pictured), Founder and CEO of Newtopia. “This new program can inspire people to develop healthy habits that meet their specific needs, which can eventually help improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.”

Newtopia’s personalized health program takes people at risk for developing Metabolic Syndrome through targeted genetic testing as well as a personality and lifestyle assessment. The results lead to a personalized wellness program that includes live, online coaching for nutrition, exercise and behavior management. The program is available through a number of different channels, including a mobile lifestyle tracking system, social health networking, gaming and wearable device integration.

The new commercial agreement between the two companies is in timely alignment with President Obama’s recently announced Precision Medicine Initiative, which aims to revolutionize how clinicians treat and prevent diseases by using genetics to inform personalized treatment models. The Newtopia program targets the treatment and prevention of Metabolic Syndrome using these same principles.

“We’re very excited about our new collaboration with Newtopia, and its potential to help members address Metabolic Syndrome in a uniquely personalized way,” says Dr. Greg Steinberg, head of Clinical Innovation at Aetna. “As we continue to work towards improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs for our members, Newtopia provides an opportunity for individuals to be inspired by a health engagement platform that allows them to develop healthy habits to meet their own unique lifestyles.”

Newtopia’s personalized plans make employees aware of what changes need to be made to improve their health.

“Our personalized health engagement platform was developed to inspire at risk individuals to make the right lifestyle choices and help turn the situation around before they develop a serious chronic disease,” said Ruby.

About Newtopia

Newtopia is a personalized health company leveraging genetic testing and the latest engagement science to inspire individuals to make healthy lifestyle decisions. Newtopia’s patented enterprise health engagement platform combines personality-matched coaching with mobile social health communities and genetically tailored health products to keep clients motivated and on track. Newtopia is partnering with insurers, employers and brands to offer disease prevention and management programs to risk-assessed individuals that deliver proven sustainable outcomes, quantifiable cost savings and a substantive ROI. Newtopia’s programs and products are guideline and evidence-based and are available across the United States and Canada. Please visit www.newtopia.com to learn more.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified healthcare benefits companies, serving an estimated 46 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their healthcare. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid healthcare management services, workers’ compensation administrative services and health information technology products and services. Aetna’s customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, healthcare providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com and learn about how Aetna is helping to build a healthier world. @aetna