US ally for Avia

20/04/2010 Robert Tyerman

Avia Health Informatics has appointed telemedicine and tele-health specialist Lifebot as first US re-seller of its clinical decision software.

Chaired by seasoned sector entrepreneur Barry Giddings, Avia, whose Odyssey software enables doctors to pre-screen patients, replace doctors with nurses where appropriate and otherwise improve efficiency and cut costs, has picked Lifebot as part of its strategy for breaking into the potentially lucrative US market. Avia, which moved from PLUS-quoted to AIM last November with a reverse takeover of Odyssey’s owner Plain Healthcare and a £1.2 million placing at 60p, says Arizona-based Lifebot, headed by founder Roger Lee Heath, has already started marketing Odyssey through newsletters and meetings with ‘healthcare decision makers’.

Emphasising Odyssey’s role in helping hospitals, ambulances, transport companies and emergency support services, the company reckons President Obama’s attempts to reform US healthcare have thrust the efficiency issues it addresses to centre stage. In the UK, Plain Healthcare, founded 16 years ago by London University Professor Jeremy Dale, won approval for Odyssey from the National Health Service, the prison service and others and is developing partnerships in Europe and Asia.

Now 65p, Avia shares value the company at £12.9 million. They have speculative potential.