Mobile Healthcare Inc, a Japanese mobile health provider, has teamed up with Jean-Michel Halfon, formerly a senior executive from the pharmaceuticals industry, who will act as an adviser and investor to the firm. Halfon’s background is as a 32-year veteran with pharma giant Pfizer where his most recent position was as president of its emerging markets business unit. He left Pfizer earlier this year.

The Japanese company, which developed the Lifewatcher management tool for diabetes patients, hopes to benefit from Halfon’s experience. Mobile Healthcare’s CEO James Nakagawa namechecked the ex Pfizer executive’s “broad expertise and industry leadership” in “healthcare and emerging markets”.

During his time with the drugs giant, Halfon’s work included leading efforts to increase access to medicines for underserved patients.

Lifewatcher is designed to help diabetes patients to make adjustments to their diet and exercise regimes. Patients monitor their own in-take and  can also send images of food taken from their phones to a central database for further information.