How One Founder Turned a Personal Disease Into a Medical Device Company

In the first episode of Beyond Outcomes - Clinical Research Unfiltered, we sit down with Jan Elsner, founder of Skinuvita, to explore the personal and professional journey behind a digital health solution that brings medically supervised phototherapy into patients’ homes. Jan shares how his own experience with psoriasis shaped the mission behind Skinuvita, why the problem mattered more than the first idea, and what it really takes to build a medical device startup in a highly regulated environment. Together, we discuss the early founder journey, clinical validation, MDR certification, reimbursement with public health insurers, the emotional reality of startup life, and why healthcare innovation often depends not only on good technology, but also on persistence, partnerships, and a deep understanding of patient needs. This episode is a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, clinical research, medical devices, digital health, and the human side of bringing innovation to patients.