Transforming Breast Cancer Care: Proven Adherence Gains for Pharma Execs

Summary

Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, with an estimated 287,850 new invasive cases and 43,250 breast cancer–related deaths projected in the United States in 2025 (American Cancer Society, 2025). Despite advances in targeted oral therapies for extended adjuvant treatment, real‐world studies find that up to 50% of patients discontinue or skip doses, undermining efficacy (Mayo Clinic, 2024). Pharmaceutical stakeholders grapple with capturing reliable adherence data, delivering timely interventions, and sustaining long‐term therapy persistence. This case study examines how Medisafe’s digital drug companion with its Just-in-Time Intervention (JITI™) engine, AI Voice Agent and Maestro orchestration suite directly address these challenges. We review study results validated by third-party data demonstrating double‐digit improvements in persistence, and real-world oncology insights showing improved patient engagement, to illustrate a compelling value proposition for life science executives exploring digital patient engagement solutions.

Challenges in Breast Cancer Patient Management

Breast cancer treatment has expanded beyond traditional intravenous chemotherapy to include long-term oral regimens such as aromatase inhibitors and extended adjuvant therapies. While these oral therapies offer greater convenience and flexibility, they also shift the responsibility of daily medication management to the patient—introducing new challenges in adherence.

Real-world evidence indicates that 40–50% of breast cancer patients demonstrate suboptimal adherence to oral endocrine therapy within the first year of treatment (ACS, 2025). This non-adherence and premature discontinuation are associated with a 20–50% increased risk of disease recurrence and reduced overall survival—posing not only a significant threat to clinical outcomes but also driving up avoidable downstream healthcare costs.

Key barriers include:

• Lack of timely reminders and dose‐tracking tools, leading to unintentional non-adherence.
• Complex side-effect profiles—hot flashes, diarrhea, fatigue—that erode motivation to continue therapy.
• Insufficient patient education on the importance of persistence beyond the first year, particularly with extended adjuvant regimens.
• Poor visibility for pharmaceutical companies into real‐time adherence and patient‐reported outcomes, impeding rapid feedback loops.
• Fragmented support pathways and limited integration between digital solutions and existing patient support programs.

Pharmaceutical executives recognize the imperative to optimize treatment value by ensuring that clinical trial efficacy translates into real‐world effectiveness. However, technology adoption is hampered by concerns over data quality, regulatory compliance (HIPAA/GDPR), patient privacy, and the ability to personalize interventions at scale. In oncology, the stakes are higher: missing just a single daily dose of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor can compromise molecular control, accelerate resistance, and drive avoidable hospitalizations. As life science organizations invest heavily in oral therapeutics, they require a robust digital engagement partner that can deliver validated adherence gains, integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure, and generate real‐world evidence that informs commercial strategy.

Medisafe Digital Platform as a Therapeutic Companion

Medisafe is the leading global digital health platform purpose-built to improve medication adherence, persistence, and care coordination across complex treatment landscapes—including oncology, neurology, and rare diseases. Acting as a therapeutic digital companion, Medisafe combines evidence-based behavioral science, intelligent engagement, and actionable insights to support patients throughout their treatment journey.

The platform is modular and configurable, enabling life science organizations to deploy tailored engagement programs that scale across brands and geographies. Its core capabilities include:

1. Just-in-Time Intervention (JITI™)
   Medisafe’s proprietary JITI™ engine uses real-time behavioral signals, AI, and clinical logic to detect missed doses, adherence risk, or symptom escalation. It delivers tailored micro-interventions nudging patients with the right message at the right time to stay on therapy.

2. AI Voice Agent
   This conversational, voice-powered feature proactively engages patients via phone to log doses, check symptoms, and deliver personalized support. It is especially effective for populations less engaged with apps or digital interfaces—extending reach across digital literacy levels and age groups.

3. Maestro Orchestration Suite
   A back-end interface that empowers life science teams to design and manage digital patient journeys. Teams can configure message timing, A/B test content, segment cohorts, and integrate data from EHRs, claims, call centers, or hubs. This enables agile optimization of engagement strategies and ensures alignment with brand objectives.

4. Insights & Real-World Evidence (RWE) Engine
   Medisafe captures a rich stream of patient-reported outcomes, adherence behavior, symptom data, and engagement metrics. Advanced analytics dashboards visualize this data in real time, providing visibility into program performance. Pharmaceutical partners use these insights to refine support strategies and generate regulatory-grade RWE for publication or submission.

Together, these components create a closed-loop engagement ecosystem—where patient behavior informs real-time interventions, life science teams gain operational transparency, and the ultimate goal of sustained adherence and improved outcomes becomes attainable.

Real-world validation:

• Komodo Health Study: An analysis of 1600 patients over a 52-week time period demonstrated a 22% incremental persistence lift and an average of an additional 2.1 Rx’s per patient for patients using Medisafe versus the control group.

Medisafe’s platform is built to meet the highest standards of data privacy and security, maintaining full compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and other global data protection regulations. This ensures that patient data is protected at every touchpoint—while still delivering the actionable, real-world insights that life science organizations need to optimize engagement strategies and improve outcomes. With validated clinical impact, robust technical infrastructure, and regulatory-grade data capabilities, Medisafe is uniquely positioned to help pharmaceutical partners bridge the gap between prescription and persistence—delivering measurable value to patients, providers, and the healthcare system at large.

Real World Evidence and Insights: Voices of Breast Cancer Patients Using Medisafe

In April 2025, Medisafe conducted a targeted survey of 44 active users who reported living with cancer, with a primary focus on individuals undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The goal was to capture real-world feedback on how Medisafe’s digital companion supports them throughout their treatment journey and to better understand the challenges and motivators that influence treatment adherence.

The findings highlight the emotional and practical value Medisafe brings to individuals navigating cancer care—often a physically and emotionally demanding experience.

Emotional Support Through Digital Touchpoints

When asked how Medisafe’s reminders made them feel, a significant 66% of respondents said the reminders made them feel more in control of their treatment—an empowering sentiment for patients facing a complex care regimen. Additionally, 32% shared that these digital nudges helped them keep going even on tough days, underscoring the importance of psychological encouragement embedded within technology. Only 9% indicated a neutral reaction, suggesting the platform generally delivers meaningful engagement.

Prioritizing Features That Matter Most

Respondents were also asked which features they found most helpful in managing their treatment. Timely reminders and nudges emerged as the most valued feature (61%), validating Medisafe’s core function in supporting daily adherence. Beyond reminders, users showed strong interest in features that increase self-awareness and health tracking—34% wanted a visual record of their progress, and 25% sought tools to track how they feel after taking medication. These findings reflect a clear desire for personalized, reflective, and educational support alongside logistical management.

Impact on Adherence and Trust

More than half (61%) of users agreed that access to these features would help them stay consistent and build trust in their treatment plan. A further 27% felt that such tools could help make symptoms more manageable or improve communication with their care team. These responses reinforce the notion that digital support systems are not only about reminders—they are also critical to fostering confidence, connection, and continuity of care.

Understanding Barriers to Adherence

The survey also probed into the real-world barriers that make adherence most difficult. “When life gets busy and I forget” was the leading challenge (52%), emphasizing the ongoing need for smart, automated, and proactive reminders. Other key barriers included side effects (32%) and emotional low points (20%), highlighting the multifaceted nature of adherence—not just logistical, but physical and emotional as well.

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Conclusions

The management of breast cancer—particularly when leveraging oral therapies for extended adjuvant treatment—demands more than prescription writing. It requires a holistic approach to patient engagement that addresses forgetfulness, side-effect burden, and motivational fatigue over long treatment horizons. Traditional patient support mechanisms, while valuable, often lack scalability, timeliness, and actionable data insights.

Medisafe’s digital drug companion, fortified by JITI™, AI Voice Agent, Maestro orchestration, and RWE analytics, offers a proven solution to these challenges. Findings from real-world data and patient-reported feedback in breast cancer—combined with outcomes from validated third-party studies—underscore the platform’s ability to influence behavior, enhance trust in therapy, and extend digital support across patient populations. Importantly, Medisafe integrates seamlessly with existing pharma support ecosystems and meets stringent privacy and regulatory standards.

For life science and pharmaceutical executives evaluating digital patient engagement strategies, partnering with Medisafe represents a high-impact opportunity. It not only elevates patient experience and clinical outcomes but also generates rigorous data that underpins value-based contracts, label expansions, and market differentiation. By embedding Medisafe’s digital companion at launch or as part of lifecycle management, organizations can ensure that innovations in breast cancer therapy achieve their full potential in the real world, improving survival, quality of life, and overall health system sustainability.

More from Medisafe:

• Get a call from Medisafe’s AI Voice Agent: https://www.medisafevia.com
• More on Medisafe’s Just-in-Time-Intervention AI Solutions: https://www.medisafe.com/jiti
• See all Medisafe Solutions: https://www.medisafe.com/solutions