The Growzen™ Buddy app is a mobile application (the “Application”) owned and commissioned by Ares Trading SA, Zone Industrielle de L'Ouriettaz, 1170 Aubonne, Switzerland (hereinafter “ATSA”), an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293, Darmstadt, Germany (“Merck KGaA (Germany) Group”). It is provided and made available by Dawn Health A/S, domiciled at Sundkaj 153 1. th., Copenhagen, Denmark, 2150, Denmark (“Dawn Health”), on behalf of ATSA.
This Privacy Policy describes how Personal Data is collected and made available to users of the Application by both ATSA and Dawn Health, as well as how users may avail of their associated privacy rights in using the Application.
For the purposes of this Privacy Policy and pursuant to applicable privacy law:
The Application has been designed and implemented with due consideration of applicable privacy law, including the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap.486). Depending on your location, more specific privacy law may apply in your case.
In processing your Personal Data in this way, we rely on your specific consent and our own legitimate interests in developing and administering the Application.
1- Which Personal Data can be collected and visible through the Application?
a) If you are a patient using the Easypod® injector device and/or Aluetta® pen with Smartdot™ transmitter (the “Device” or the “Devices”), the following main data sets (including Personal Data) in particular may be collected and visible through the Application:
b) If you are a Caregiver (or a parent or a guardian), you will be able to consult all of the above as it relates to treatment of your child/patient dependent, as well as any of your own Personal Data processed in relation to that treatment (e.g., phone number, email address, relationship to the child).
Depending on the platform from which you downloaded the Application you may also be asked to provide separate consent for your Personal Data to be processed in other applications of the platform provider (i.e. Apple Store). Please note this is not strictly required for the use of the Application.
When using Smartdot™ transmitter, please note that downloading the mobile Application from a platform provider (Google Play or Apple Store) requires access to the location data in order to allow pairing of the mobile phone with the transmitter, or alternatively, when using bluetooth connectivity. In all cases, your location data is not stored by ATSA or our third parties that help to provide the Application to you. Further information on how location data is used or processed by Google, Apple or their third parties may be accessible through your personal platform provider account, location history or related settings.
For Easypod® users, neither bluetooth pairing nor location data sharing is required.
In accepting this Privacy Policy, you freely and expressly consent to the processing of your Personal Data as per information provided in this Privacy Policy (alternatively where you are a caregiver, parent or legal guardian, you consent of the processing of such Personal Data on behalf of yourself and any child dependent).
2- Who may view your data?
Your data, once transferred to Growzen™ Connect software and including the Personal Data described above, may be accessed by your HCP, to support you during your treatment as freely and expressly consented by you.
For child patients (typically including any individuals under sixteen years old but varying depending on the laws in your location) caregivers, parents or legal guardians may also access and view such data provided they have requested and obtained a valid access to use the Application.
Some Personal Data may also be accessed and viewed by other ATSA affiliates, as well as our trusted service providers (such as Dawn Health). Typically, such access is strictly limited to necessary operational or maintenance purposes. Further information on the usage for analytical or statistical purposes is provided in section 6 below. ATSA and its affiliates ensure that any such access is pursuant to the requirements and protections of applicable privacy law, including ensuring that any such Personal Data is sufficiently protected (for example, by signing appropriate data processing agreements where international transfers are required, or by implementing robust technical and organizational measures such as encryption and role-based access).
3- Where is Your Data stored and how is it protected?
Your data will be stored in the Growzen™ Connect software database which is located within the European Economic Area (EEA). For necessary operational or maintenance purposes in particular as stated in Section 2 above, more restricted Personal Data sets may be processed outside Hong Kong, by other ATSA affiliates, or by authorized service providers (such as Dawn Health) in providing the services described above in section 2. This may also include usage and analytics data (including where anonymized) and other limited datasets which may be stored or viewable outside Hong Kong.
As data user, we ensure that all required steps are taken to ensure that any such Personal Data is adequately protected, that any processing complies with applicable law, and that recommended, or industry standard practice is followed to help protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your related Personal Data. As an example, your Personal Data is encrypted when transferred and stored in the Growzen™ Connect software network, as well as transferred from your mobile phone.
We ensure our procedures and security measures are closely monitored and updated where necessary to remain in close step with new legal requirements and best practice. As an example, our policies from both the technical and organizational perspective are periodically reviewed.
However, please note that any transmission of data relating to your usage of the Application over external networks (mobile phone network provider, or internet service providers) is beyond our reasonable control. As such, ATSA and its affiliates cannot be held liable for any delay, failure, performance, non-performance, interruption or corruption of any data or other information transmitted through or using such external networks.
4- How long is your data retained for?
Your data is retained to the extent required by law, or for as long as you continue to use the Application. Please note that this is separate to any usage or storage of your data by your HCP, acting as a separate data user. You should also be aware that if you stop using the Application or remove it from your phone, but do not ask your account to be deleted, your personal data may still be kept within the Growzen™ Connect software database.
5- Right to access, review, correct and object
You confirm that your usage of the Application is independent from your treatment and entirely voluntary. You are free to change your mind and withdraw your consent as a whole or in part by informing your HCP at any time. Please note that if you withdraw consent from the processing of your health data, we will no longer be able to provide you with the Application. If you want to have your data deleted, you may also request this from your HCP. Subject to the above, we will retain any Personal Data relating to you or your dependent child to the extent required by law, or otherwise for as long as reasonably required to provide the Application.
Depending on applicable privacy law in your location, you may also have various rights over your or your child’s Personal Data processed through the Application. The following, as an example, includes some of those applicable under Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap.486) (which may be different from those in your own location).
NOTE1: If you are participating in a clinical study, specific consent and related terms may also continue to apply. Please contact your specific trial doctor if you have any questions on this.
NOTE2: Please note, that should you delete the Application on your mobile your HCP may continue to review your treatment data through Growzen™ Connect software. To revoke your consent for this please contact your HCP.
6- Why is such information processed?
In using the Application, your Personal Data may be processed for the purposes listed below in particular:
a) in generally providing the Application and its content, including any updates
b) providing support, and to maintain, operate, secure, and administer the Application, your data, the database, and related services
c) To generate aggregated statistics reports and business reviews (as described section below)
d) To contact you in relation to the use of the software, such as to provide you with information about the Application after your healthcare provider has recommended you use it
e) To ensure that content from the Application is presented in the most effective manner
f) To comply with legal or regulatory obligations.
7- Use of data for analytical or statistical purposes
To better understand and improve the usage of the Growzen™ Connect software, and the Application, ATSA, and its affiliates, may also use system data for (anonymized and aggregate) statistical reports and business reviews, as well as to create general adherence reports.
This may include the following in particular:
Please note that you can opt-out (at any time) of some non-essential processing as follows:
8- Does the Application send push notifications?
Push notifications are messages that are sent from the Growzen™ Connect software to your mobile device, where they are prioritized and displayed. The Application uses push notifications only for notifications that refer, for example, to your injection adherence or to the synchronization of your Device. You can disable receiving push notifications at any time in your Device's settings.
Alternatively, you can arrange to receive such information by notifications such as via email.
9- Amendments
We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy and we will inform you of such changes per email/in writing or on the Application to ensure you are aware of such changes and, where required, to obtain your consent.
10- Contact
If you have any questions or concerns you can also contact the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany data protection officer at privacy@merckgroup.com . If your query concerns a specific user account, you may be required to provide some limited Personal Data for authentication purposes. If your query is more general, you may choose to limit the Personal Data you provide (for example, using a different email address).
Last update: June 2025