Leading digital therapeutics companies form new alliance to support the adoption of therapeutic solutions across the healthcare ecosystem
Arlington, VA – October 24, 2017 – The Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) launched today to broaden the understanding, adoption, and integration of digital therapeutic solutions into mainstream healthcare through education, advocacy, and research.
Digital therapeutics represent a new generation of healthcare that uses innovative, clinically-validated disease management and direct treatment technologies to enhance, and in some cases replace, current medical practices and treatments.
DTA members and partners – including patients, healthcare providers, payers, academic institutions, technology organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers – will collaborate to:
“Digital therapeutics are re-writing our definition of medicine. It’s critical that industry, academia, government, and the medical community work together in the next phase of medical adoption,” said Eddie Martucci, CEO, Akili Interactive. “We’re excited to drive this effort alongside other leaders who share our dedication to rigorous clinical validation and organizational excellence in product development. It is truly a new class of medicine.”
“Digital therapeutics are at the forefront of a new era in healthcare. As the entire industry prepares for what’s next, we are excited to represent digital therapeutics in this rapidly evolving environment, working with regulators, patient advocacy groups, providers, payers, and manufacturers,” said Pierre Leurent, CEO, Voluntis.
DTx products receive regulatory clearance when used as a medical device, integrate into clinical practice, and tailor to patients’ clinical needs, goals, and lifestyles.
“Our Alliance is dedicated to advancing novel platforms and solutions that improve patients’ lives and add value to physicians, care teams, and the healthcare system,” explains Anand K. Iyer, Chief Strategy Officer, WellDoc. “These tools are used in daily life to improve patient and provider visibility into complex treatment processes and simplify pathways to better outcomes.”
“Digital therapeutics will significantly benefit individuals and communities by improving chronic disease care and treatment,” said David Van Sickle, CEO, Propeller Health. “DTA actively encourages and supports companies working to develop, trial, and market digital offerings with meaningful clinical benefits.”
Founding members include Akili Interactive, Propeller Health, Voluntis, and WellDoc.
“We encourage the continued growth of this industry through DTA’s work and initiatives,” said Sean Duffy, CEO, Omada Health, and DTA Strategic Advisor. “This specialized category of products emerged from the broader digital health category, and has quickly differentiated itself via companies’ clinical fidelity, evidence-based approaches, policy engagement, and commitment to outcome-focused reimbursement.”
Learn more at: www.dtxalliance.org.
About the Digital Therapeutics Alliance
The Digital Therapeutics Alliance represents the healthcare industry’s leading manufacturers of clinically validated digital therapeutic (DTx) solutions. DTA’s mission is to broaden the understanding, adoption, and integration of digital therapeutic solutions into mainstream healthcare through education, advocacy, and research. DTA members and partners – including patients, healthcare providers, payers, academic institutions, technology organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers – collaborate to enhance patient outcomes through assessing the value and impact of DTx solutions in clinical practice, constructing industry and regulatory frameworks, and encouraging data-driven integration and utilization of DTx solutions across the healthcare industry.
Digital therapeutics are clinically-validated solutions that may be used as standalone interventions or in association with other treatments to engage patients and improve the overall quality, cohesion, outcomes, and value of healthcare delivery. DTx products demonstrate safety and efficacy in randomized clinical trials, receive regulatory clearance when used as a medical device, integrate into clinical practice, and tailor to patients’ clinical needs, goals, and lifestyles. These solutions consist of patient-facing treatments, clinical assessment and outcomes tracking tools, clinician monitoring dashboards, and HIPAA-compliant data storage.
For more information visit: www.dtxalliance.org
Digital Therapeutic Alliance member company leaders Pierre Leurent, CEO, Voluntis, Anand Iyer, Chief Strategy Officer, WellDoc, and Vincent Hennemand, VP of Strategy, Corporate & BD, Akili Interactive, will present at the Frontiers Health Summit on November 17 in Berlin, Germany.
Session — Software as a drug: the dawn of Digital Therapies [Keynote and Panel]
Date — Friday, November 17, 2017 2:15pm – 3:15pm
Description — More than 150 companies are already working on digital therapeutics, and an increasing number of these are starting to show significant clinical evidence. In addition, several pharma companies have started investing in digital therapeutics companies, and are partnering to distribute digital therapeutics through their sales channels. This is a strong indication that digital therapeutics will be the “3rd wave of medicine”. Our panel will discuss the resulting industry transformation, the opportunities for healthcare providers and the pharma industry, and what efforts are underway to define new protocols of care and measures of clinical effectiveness.
For more information about the conference, visit www.frontiershealth.co.
The Digital Therapeutics Alliance is proud to participate in the Digital Therapeutics and Digital Medicine Summit to be held in San Jose, CA on Feb 27-28, 2018.
With healthcare becoming more expensive and smart devices more prevalent, digital medicine and digital therapeutics are seeking to improve patients’ lives through validated digital approaches. At this crucial point of rapid adoption, the Digital Therapeutics and Digital Medicine Summit will provide the first industry-dedicated forum to advance this new generation of healthcare.
The Digital Therapeutics and Digital Medicine Summit will serve digital therapeutic & digital medicine companies, pharma and investors who are developing digital solutions for patients in need. Specifically designed for those looking to drive forward this new treatment paradigm, the summit will address the leading scientific, tech and commercial challenges in this rapidly emerging field.
An exec-level gathering for the pioneers and future players in the industry, the Digital Therapeutics and Digital Medicine Summit will aid in defining the foundations of the field, as well as its future direction. Promoting openness and collaboration, the summit will yield genuine insights, idea sharing and investment conversations to capitalize on the potential of this digital revolution.
The Digital Therapeutics and Digital Medicine Summit will bring together the key stakeholders in the industry to connect, share knowledge and define the future of the field.
To learn more, visit: https://digitaltxsummit.com/
The Economist 1843 (Natasha Loder) — Humans have always dreamed of better, fitter, longer-lasting bodies. But while many science-fiction fantasies, from videophones to self-driving cars, have been realised, health technology has lagged behind our hopes. Artificial organs and smart pills have been a long time coming.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine — August 2017 —
Objective: To evaluate a digitally delivered, intensive behavioral counseling program for a workforce at risk for obesity-related chronic disease.
Methods: Employees were offered a digital health program modeled after the diabetes prevention program (DPP). Annual workforce health assessments were used to examine changes in chronic disease risk factors between participants (n = 634) relative to a matched comparison group (n = 1268).
Results: Overall, employees were gaining an average of 3.5 pounds annually before program inception. Program engagement was positive; 83% completed the majority of the curriculum and 31% lost at least 5% of their starting weight. Compared with non-participating peers, participants demonstrated reduced weight, improved fasting blood glucose, and improved nutritional intake after a year.
Conclusions: The digital health program was effective for engaging employees in health behavior change. Digital options facilitate widespread implementation.
Forbes (by Elad Natanson) — Last month, healthcare startup Omada Health secured a $50 million C round led by major insurer Cigna, which brings the 5-year-old company’s total funding to over $127 million. That kind of nine-figure investment isn’t unusual for a company with the next blockbuster drug or game changing medical device, but Omada’s core product is a diabetes-preventing mobile app! Omada is a leader in one of the hottest new sectors of the app economy: Digital Therapeutics.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2017 — May 2017 —
Rationale: Digital health interventions have demonstrated positive impacts on clinical outcomes in asthma, but data on their impact in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and among older populations, have been limited. We aimed to assess the feasibility and clinical impact of a digital health intervention in a Medicare population with COPD or asthma.
Methods: Participants were enrolled in a single arm, pre-post digital health pilot study at the JenCare clinic in Louisville, Kentucky. Participants were eligible with a diagnosis of asthma or COPD and a compatible short-acting beta agonist (SABA) medication. Participants recived a Bluetooth-enabled inhaler sensor, which tracked the date, time, and frequency of medication use for 12 months. Participants without a smartphone were offered a wireless hub for data transmission. Participants received access to web-based dashboards and emails that provided information about their disease status and guidelines-based education. JenCare staff monitored medication use through a web-based dashboard to inform care and identify signals of acute worsening. To assess feasibility, we evaluated the number of participants that enrolled and synced a sensor to initiate data transmission, and the duration of active participation. To assess impact on clinical outcomes, we evaluated the impact on SABA use and symptom-free days at 6 months versus baseline.
Results: 236 participants were enrolled, including 198 with COPD and 38 with asthma. Of these participants, 222 (94%) synced a sensor to begin data transmission and 192 (81%) were active after 10 months.
Among asthma participants, 65% were 60 or older and 82% were female. Participants self-identified as 39% White and 58% Black. 95% trasmitted data via wireless hub. 82% were considered uncontrolled at enrollment as measured by the ACT. After 6 months, SABA use had decreased from 1.15 (first week) to 0.56 uses/person/day (last week), a significant decrease of 51.4% (p<0.05). Symptom-free days increased from 46% to 59%, a 28% improvement.
Among COPD participants, 78% were 60 or older and 66% were female. Participants self-identified as 53% White, 44% Black, and 3% other. 97% transmitted data via wireless hub. After 6 months, SABA use decreased from 1.53 (first week) to 0.74 uses/person/day (last week), a significant reduction of 51.7% (p<0.01).
Conclusion: A digital health intervention was feasible and effective among older, diverse Medicare population. Participants demonstrated high activation and retention rates, significantly reduced SABA use and more symptom free days.
Learn more.
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MIT Technology Review (by Christina Farr) — Entrepreneurs are betting on apps that improve—or just replace—prescription medication.
What if an app could replace a pill? That’s the big question behind an emerging trend known as “digital therapeutics.” The idea: software that can improve a person’s health as much as a drug can, but without the same cost and side-effects.
Digital therapeutics, or “digiceuticals,” as some call them, have become a Holy Grail in some quarters of Silicon Valley, where investors see the chance to deliver medicine through your smartphone. Andreessen Horowitz, the venture firm, even predicts digital drugs will become “the third phase” of medicine, meaning the successor to the chemical and protein drugs we have now, but without the billion-dollar cost of bringing one to market.
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PLUS ONE — April 2017 —
Children with Sensory Processing Dysfunction (SPD) experience incoming information in atypical, distracting ways. Qualitative challenges with attention have been reported in these children, but such difficulties have not been quantified using either behavioral or functional neuroimaging methods. Furthermore, the efficacy of evidence-based cognitive control interventions aimed at enhancing attention in this group has not been tested.
Here we present work aimed at characterizing and enhancing attentional abilities for children with SPD. A sample of 38 SPD and 25 typically developing children were tested on behavioral, neural, and parental measures of attention before and after a 4-week iPad-based at-home cognitive remediation program. At baseline, 54% of children with SPD met or exceeded criteria on a parent report measure for inattention/hyperactivity. Significant deficits involving sustained attention, selective attention and goal management were observed only in the subset of SPD children with parent-reported inattention. This subset of children also showed reduced midline frontal theta activity, an electroencephalographic measure of attention.
Following the cognitive intervention, only the SPD children with inattention/hyperactivity showed both improvements in midline frontal theta activity and on a parental report of inattention. Notably, 33% of these individuals no longer met the clinical cut-off for inattention, with the parent-reported improvements persisting for 9 months.
These findings support the benefit of a targeted attention intervention for a subset of children with SPD, while simultaneously highlighting the importance of having a multifaceted assessment for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions to optimally personalize treatment.
Read full study.
Environmental Health Perspectives — February 2017 —
Background: Epidemiological asthma research has relied upon self-reported symptoms or healthcare utilization data, and used the residential address as the primary location for exposure. These data sources can be temporally limited, spatially aggregated, subjective, and burdensome for the patient to collect.
Objectives: First, we aimed to test the feasibility of collecting rescue inhaler use data in space–time using electronic sensors. Second, we aimed to evaluate whether these data have the potential to identify environmental triggers and built environment factors associated with rescue inhaler use and to determine whether these findings would be consistent with the existing literature.
Methods: We utilized zero-truncated negative binomial models to identify triggers associated with inhaler use, and implemented three sensitivity analyses to validate our findings.
Results: Electronic sensors fitted on metered dose inhalers tracked 5,660 rescue inhaler use events in space and time for 140 participants from 13 June 2012 to 28 February 2014. We found that the inhaler sensors were feasible in passively collecting objective rescue inhaler use data. We identified several environmental triggers with a positive and significant association with inhaler use, including: AQI, PM10, weed pollen, and mold. Conversely, the spatial distribution of tree cover demonstrated a negative and significant association with inhaler use.
Conclusions: Utilizing a sensor to capture the signal of rescue inhaler use in space–time offered a passive and objective signal of asthma activity. This approach enabled detailed analyses to identify environmental triggers and built environment factors that are associated with asthma symptoms beyond the residential address. The application of these new technologies has the potential to improve our surveillance and understanding of asthma.
Read full study.