Introduction:-
- Digital Therapeutics (DTx) is a therapeutic intervention being offered to patients through software with an aim to treat, manage or prevent a particular disorder. In simpler terms, DTx applications are those for patients which help them prevent or treat a disease and see a clinical benefit.
- For instance, digital therapeutics of patients can help them self-treat certain symptoms, which can enhance the patients’ quality of life and other clinical endpoints. DTx changes the way a person behaves and uses the internet via mobile phones, applications, and other tools such as sensors and virtual reality.
- Dtx aims to address specific health demands and as such can be helpful in providing well-targeted health services. DTx is known as one of the most promising and newer domains in the field of digital health and within its ecosystem strong growth tendencies have been observed in the last two years.
Benefits of Digital Therapeutics:
- Faster access to effective therapies.
- High degree of treatment personalization.
- Continuous patient monitoring.
- Improved adherence to treatment plans.
- Significant scalability for extended clinical care.
- Multi-language support tailored to patient preferences.
- Private access to often stigmatized treatments.
- Data-backed insights into patient behavior and treatment effectiveness.
- Higher cost-effectiveness compared to traditional treatments.
Trends in Digital Therapeutics:
Direct to Consumer(DTC)
The e-DTC appears promising as technology continues to evolve. Companies recognize the potential of this model for engaging patients in their own health. More and more, direct-to-consumer approaches are becoming the norm in healthcare delivery systems around the world, as these patients seek more efficient and convenient means of obtaining health care.
For instance, in August 2024, Pfizer has launched the PfizerForAll platform, a one-stop-shop for patients in the U.S. to access vaccines, diagnostic tests, and medications. The platform aims to cut out middlemen and provide a one-stop solution for making doctor's appointments, finding vaccines, and ordering tests and treatments.
Growth in Integrated Ecosystems
Digital therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's will comprise environmental and body-based sensors and interactions over apps, screens, and smart speakers in assisted living. Currently the trend begins to see such households for mental health as well as diabetes, depending on new developments in wearables and CGMs, not only limited to phone apps. Evolving further with time, DTx applications will be seldomly standalone in the future.
Mental Health
As far as application of AI on behavioral nudges, support, and therapy, it surpasses the human intervention and would really invoke growth and income in this field. A perfect model for DTC. Why don't you pay at least $100 for a very effective AI program if on-line therapists charge $300 and really good, in-person therapists around $1000 every month? This is all great news for consumers since the advancement of competition and AI will continue to drive down prices.
For instance, in June 2024, DeepWell Digital Therapeutics has launched Zengence, its first action video game for mental health, available in the Meta Game Store. The game uses patent-pending technology for breath and sound mechanics, allowing players to defeat Dark Wraiths and silence their inner anxieties, making it the first therapeutic game for virtual reality applications.
Key Developments:
- In August 2024, Otsuka Precision Health and Click Therapeutics have launched Rejoyn, a prescription digital therapeutic for treating major depressive disorder symptoms which is cleared by the FDA in March 2024, Rejoyn is used as an adjunct to clinician-managed outpatient care for adult patients aged 22 and older on antidepressant medication.
- In January 2024, Eli Lilly has launched LillyDirect, a digital healthcare platform for US patients with obesity, migraine, and diabetes. The platform provides disease management resources, tailored support, and direct home delivery of select Lilly medicines through third-party pharmacy dispensing services. The aim is to simplify the patient experience and improve outcomes by offering more choices in healthcare access, including a convenient home delivery option for prescribed Lilly medicines.
- In January 2024, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., NTT DATA Japan Corporation, NTT DATA KANSAI Corporation, and QUNIE Corporation have announced the joint construction of the "DTx Distribution Platform" to promote Digital Therapeutics services, which provide treatment through mobile applications and other means. The platform aims to enhance the promotion of digital therapeutics services in Japan.
- In June 2023 Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) is announcing the launch of the Policymaker & Payor DTx Evaluation Toolkit, a comprehensive set of resources to enable global healthcare and digital technology leaders to broaden the understanding, adoption, and integration of clinically evaluated digital therapeutics (DTx) into healthcare.
- “Representative disease areas of digital therapeutics (DTx) utilized in the active DTx clinical trials. The disease areas depicted are those within (a) psychiatric indications, (b) oncology indications, (c) addiction indications, (d) neurological indications, and (e) endocrinological indications. ADHD, attention-deficient hyperactivity disorder; OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder; OUD, opioid use disorder; PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.”
OPPORTUNITIES IN DIGITAL THERAPEUTICS:
Patients and Caregivers:
Health care has traditionally been a consumer-oriented industry, with poor customer satisfaction and long waiting times. However, digital health tools like DTx can address these issues by providing reliable, high-quality interventions and personalized on-demand care. Younger generations are accustomed to user-friendly access to information, and digital health tools can help meet these needs by providing data availability, transparency, and optimization.
Providers and Health Systems:
Digital therapeutic interventions (DTx) offer providers and health systems increased access to new treatment options and the ability to prescribe DTx alone or in combination with other treatments. AI mining from DTx usage can drive proactive decision making, allowing providers to design effective treatment regimens based on patient profile, comorbidities, and lifestyle. DTx can also integrate data into central HER/EMR systems, providing a wider view for patients.
Payers:
Private health insurers and Medicare can benefit from improved clinical and economic outcomes through the use of DTx. This technology can drive cost savings and reduce overall care costs by reducing hospitalizations and expenses. Longitudinal data collection and tracking of patients can demonstrate value creation at both individual and population levels. Employers are motivated to offer convenient, accessible, and effective DTx to patients, thereby improving workforce retention and wellbeing.
CONCLUSION:
Telemedicine is commoditizing, leading to the development of a broader ecosystem of digital health solutions. Digital therapeutics can reduce care costs and improve health outcomes by collecting data on an individual's health and treatment compliance. DTx tools, which can track and benchmark data according to gold standard clinical outcomes, demonstrate cost savings and ROI. This data is valuable for various stakeholders, including payers, policymakers, physicians, investors, and patients. The proliferation of mental and behavioral health tools is expected, provided they can obtain regulatory approval and reimbursement.
