The pandemic has set ablaze the white-hot market for Digital Therapeutics (DTx), which “deliver medical interventions directly to patients using evidence-based, clinically evaluated software to treat, manage, and prevent a broad spectrum of diseases and disorders1.” In 2020, a digital research firm projected the global DTx market to hit nearly $9 billion by 2025; a year later, its 2025 DTx forecast had increased to $56 billion2.
One of the few bright spots of 2020 was how quickly and effectively healthcare providers embraced technology to remotely engage and manage patients, especially those with chronic conditions that account for the lion’s share of US healthcare spending. As a result, providers and payers are seeking more DTx solutions to improve patient care and management while enabling oversight between clinical visits. Pharma and device companies also are investing heavily in co-developing DTx companion solutions for their medicines and products, including apps for clinical research.
Though the fervor fueling this explosive growth is understandable, developers should recognize that DTx is not just another plug-and-play algorithm. In fact, its developmental process is strikingly similar to time-intensive pathways for new medicines. DTx solutions require clinical research and testing, regulatory approvals, and specialized expertise to integrate the technology into clinical workflows and patients’ lives.
Transforming a great idea into a DTx app that works in healthcare’s complex ecosystem can be painstakingly difficult. Based on our 10 years of experience developing both a DTx platform (our diabetes connected-care platform hosts several DTx apps) and a DTx app for long-term insulin management, we want to share our learnings about the challenges associated with developing and commercializing DTx innovations.
The Big Picture
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In practical terms, DTx solutions empower patients, clinicians, and payers with intelligent, easily accessible, and data-rich tools to address a wide range of conditions. They can be used independently or in concert with medications, devices, or other therapies and are especially effective for treating complex disease states that can benefit from constant monitoring and therapeutic adjustments. For example, pharma companies are pairing DTx with Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Digital Companion (DC) tools to improve patient engagement, adherence, and outcomes,
According to the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA), the goal of DTx products for treating or managing a disease or improving a health function is to deliver therapeutic interventions based on clinical evidence with clinical endpoints used to support any product claims3.
Source: Hitconsultant
