National Institutes of Health Launches Fitbit Project as First Digital Health Technology Initiative in Landmark All of Us Research Program

Launched nationally in May 2018, All of Us seeks to enroll one million or more participants, with the goal of improving the ability to prevent and treat disease based on individual differences in lifestyle, environment and genetics. Participants will be invited to share different types of health information over time through surveys, electronic health records, physical measurements, biosamples and digital health technologies. Data will be made accessible to researchers for a wide range of health studies, with strict safeguards in place to protect participant privacy.

“Collecting real-world, real-time data through digital technologies will become a fundamental part of the program,” said Eric Dishman, director of the All of Us Research Program. “This information in combination with many other data types will give us an unprecedented ability to better understand the impact of lifestyle and environment on health outcomes and, ultimately, develop better strategies for keeping people healthy in a very precise, individualized way.”

As a national leader in research using digital health technologies, Scripps Research is spearheading the program’s digital health effort. In 2017, Scripps Research selected Fitbit as the first wearable for use in the groundbreaking All of Us program, based on the popularity and credibility of its use in peer-validated clinical research. An analysis¹ published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal found that Fitbit devices are the most commonly used tracker in biomedical research. To date, more than 675² published studies have used a Fitbit device and according to a recent analysis, Fitbit is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov studies 10 times as often than other brands.³ This includes the use of Fitbit devices in areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular health, oncology, mental health and post-surgery.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Fitbit users who choose to participate, to further contribute to one of the world’s largest research efforts by providing information that can help pave the way to a healthier future for all of us,” said Adam Pellegrini, general manager, Fitbit Health Solutions. “Every day we learn more about the potential for wearable data to inform personalized healthcare and through All of Us, the research community will gain an even better understanding of the role wearable data can play in helping to prevent and treat disease.”

While Fitbit users can use their device to sync health stats with the program, a device is not required to participate. All of Us participants can also choose to connect their data through their Fitbit account and manually add information such as their weight, water intake and meals. To get started, participants can log on to the All of Us participant portal at participant.JoinAllofUs.org and visit the Sync Apps & Devices page. Fitbit users and others ages 18 and up living in the United States interested in enrolling in the All of Us Research Program can learn more by visiting www.joinallofus.org.

A second All of Us research initiative using Fitbit devices will launch in 2019 that involves providing up to 10,000 Fitbit devices to a diverse set of participants randomly invited to take part. The study, which will be conducted by Scripps Research Translational Institute, will generate a unique data set for exploring the relationship between health indicators such as physical activity, heart rate and sleep in conjunction with other critical health outcomes that will be captured as part of All of Us.

Precision Medicine Initiative and All of Us are service marks of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

About Fitbit

Fitbit helps people lead healthier, more active lives by empowering them with data, inspiration and guidance to reach their goals. As the leading global wearables brand, Fitbit designs products and experiences that track and provide motivation for everyday health and fitness. Fitbit’s diverse line of innovative and popular products include Fitbit Charge 3™, Fitbit Alta HR™, Fitbit Alta®, Fitbit Ace™, Fitbit Flex 2®, and Fitbit Zip® activity trackers, as well as the Fitbit Ionic™ and Fitbit Versa™ smartwatches, Fitbit Flyer™ wireless headphones and Fitbit Aria 2™ Wi-Fi Smart Scale. Fitbit products are carried in over 39,000 retail stores and in 87 countries around the globe. Powered by one of the world’s largest social fitness networks and databases of health and fitness data, the Fitbit platform delivers personalized experiences, insights and guidance through leading software and interactive tools, including the Fitbit and Fitbit Coach apps, and the Fitbit OS for smartwatches. Fitbit Health Solutions develops health and wellness solutions designed to help increase engagement, improve health outcomes, and drive a positive return for employers, health plans and health systems.

Fitbit and the Fitbit logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fitbit, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Additional Fitbit trademarks can be found at www.fitbit.com/legal/trademark-list. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties including, among other things, statements regarding future research initiatives using Fitbit devices. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors, including the effects of the highly competitive market in which we operate, including competition from much larger technology companies; any inability to successfully develop and introduce new products, features, and services or enhance existing products and services; product liability issues, security breaches or other defects; and other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained herein are based on information available to us as of the date hereof and we do not assume any obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.

¹ Stephen P Wright, Scott R Collier, Tyish S Brown, and Kathryn Sandberg. An analysis of how consumer physical activity monitors are used in biomedical research. FASEB Journal. https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.1020.24

² Research Library Update. Fitabase. https://www.fitabase.com/research-library/

³ Andre Henriksen et al. Using Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches to Measure Physical Activity in Research: Analysis of Consumer Wrist-Worn Wearables. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://www.jmir.org/2018/3/e110/

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