KakaoHealthcare will explore localisation and expansion strategies for its AI-based glucose management app ‘PASTA’ in Indonesia following an agreement with national university hospital Rumah Sakit Universitas Indonesia (RSUI).

Under an MoU signed with RSUI, KakaoHealthcare aims to adapt and enhance PASTA locally by conducting pilot tests targeting doctors and patients at the hospital, while several AI engines will be refined using local databases and data. Glucose monitoring systems company Dexcom will provide Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices free of charge for the pilot.

PASTA, approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as a Class 2 software as a medical device (SaMD), uses CGM to analyse real-time glucose levels in addition to lifelog data on diet, exercise, and sleep entered by the user, and suggests lifestyle recommendations through AI.

KakaoHealthcare had been actively seeking partnerships with the Indonesian government, hospitals, and private sectors in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency of South Korea. The initiative follows a Korean government Digital Cooperation Plan to provide ASEAN countries with AI-based digital wellness products for free.