Michael Nathans
Michael Nathans WhisperSom℠

Sleep apnea is not just a health issue but rather a business problem, costing billions in lost productivity, increased healthcare claims, absenteeism, and on-the-job accidents. According to a study by Frost & Sullivan, the annual economic burden of undiagnosed sleep apnea among U.S. adults is approximately $149.6 billion, with over $86.9 billion in lost productivity and $6.5 billion in workplace accidents. This staggering number is indicative of the alarming lack of concern and gravity surrounding the medical condition.

WhisperSom℠, co-founded by Michael G. Nathans, is providing a potential solution to tackle sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that carries cumulative health risks, some even fatal. Its cutting–edge initiative is rooted in helping employers provide their employees with efficient and economical solutions for sleep apnea, potentially reducing the financial burden on healthcare stakeholders.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes repeated interruptions during sleep, leading to poor sleep quality, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and increased risk for chronic diseases like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and depression. These diseases can occur from cumulative oxygen deprivation, which can put enormous stress on an individual's cardiovascular and metabolic systems. To cure the disorder, there's a dire need for efficient and cost-effective treatment options.

Despite its prevalence and severity, sleep apnea continues to fly under the radar, especially in the workplace. Untreated moderate to severe sleep apnea is associated with a twofold increase in workplace accidents. And yet, about 80% of the cases go undiagnosed, especially among working adults. This is where the responsibility and opportunity for corporate leadership, particularly CEOs, become crucial to curtail the economic burden.

Aside from the health of employees, sleep apnea directly affects the health of the bottom line. A Harvard-McKinsey study revealed that employees with untreated OSA incur an estimated annual healthcare cost between $65 billion and $165 billion than those without the condition. With the additional fatigue-related errors in high-responsibility environments, the company can be subjected to liability risks, brand damage, and long-term loss of talent.

"These costs aren't being talked about with the same magnitude as they should be. With the shocking number of people avoiding a diagnosis of sleep apnea altogether, companies are facing the direct result of it, and they don't realize that," Nathans states. "With ineffective treatment options, they aren't going to get any better. That's where WhisperSom℠ can bring change."

Nathans and his team derived a formula based on published data, calculating the estimated incidence of people suffering from sleep apnea against the number of additional healthcare costs that are being incurred in workplace settings, including workplace accidents, loss of cognition that affects presence, judgment, interpersonal relationships, decision-making, and absenteeism. His formula revealed that the overall annual cost from these calculations is far greater than many realize.

"From an economic standpoint, following FDA authorization, WhisperSom℠ has a greater potential to directly negate the exorbitant costs that large corporation stakeholders and healthcare payers are spending to maintain their employees' health and wellbeing. Consequently, the device could yield a significant ROI for the businesses, too," Nathans adds.

WhisperSom℠ has developed a comfortable, non-invasive, wearable device for treating sleep apnea that could raise the standard of care, keeping the corporate workforce in mind. Traditional CPAP machines have compliance rates as low as 30% for those who would try it in the first place, due to patient discomfort and inconvenient treatment modality, among other factors. To tackle this, WhisperSom℠ is bringing its field-tested device through the FDA Breakthrough De Novo authorization pathway, with Medicare and Medicaid insurance reimbursement. It hopes the device will integrate into patients' nightly routines without any discomfort or disruption, and more than pay for itself in the first year.

With a three-in-one system, the device has the potential to diagnose, monitor vitals, and treat apnea using personalized, precision acoustic neuromodulation signals that can facilitate natural breathing instantly. Additionally, the device implements adaptive intelligence technology to provide personalized treatment to users based on their breathing requirements. "With every breath the user takes, WhisperSom℠ adapts," Nathans states.

"I've been consistently scanning for a company that would offer a technological approach for sleep apnea that's more effective than a mask-and-tube machine," says Dr. Audrey Wells, the advisor and acting CMO for WhisperSom℠. "With this device, there's a massive potential that leverages adaptive intelligence technology and takes advantage of a physiological mechanism to protect the airway."

More than a medical device, WhisperSom℠ is positioning itself as a strategic corporate health partner. By offering a cost-effective and efficacious sleep apnea solution, the company can help CEOs and CFOs quantify ROI through productivity gains, healthcare savings, and reduced absenteeism. Additionally, with company leaders showing a vested interest in the well-being of their employees, the device can directly contribute to an increase in company loyalty.

"For CEOs, their employees are their most valuable asset, and we're the people who can help protect their most valuable asset," Nathans states.

Sleep apnea is no longer just a personal health issue. Rather, it's a strategic business risk, and with the right solutions, it can be an easily solvable one. Since treating sleep apnea for every patient in the U.S. would produce an annual economic savings of $100.1 billion, bringing awareness of the disorder is imperative for economic growth. With FDA approval underway, WhisperSom℠ is headed to be the turnkey solution for potentially treating sleep apnea, effectively restoring a good night's rest for millions and their bed partners.