Digital Therapeutics - Examples & History
Cameron Jacox is the founder of Rocket Digital Health, the foremost digital health scale consultancy. Go-to-market is hard in healthcare, and we believe that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to bring your brilliant invention to market. Having helped scale 13 digital health startups, including for 4 years as Chief Growth Officer at Lark Health from Series A to Unicorn status, Cameron & his team work with select startups to bring growth strategy to bear to beat their growth goals and catch their stride.
First things first: What are Digital Therapeutics?
Digital therapeutics are like the cool, tech-savvy cousins of traditional medicine. They're all about using software and cutting-edge technology to help prevent, manage, or treat various medical conditions. They truly come in all shapes and sizes, from mobile apps to video games, and they're designed to work alongside or sometimes even replace conventional treatments.
So Digital Therapeutics isn’t “one thing”?
Nope, not any more than “medicine” means so many things. Now, let's take a quick trip down memory lane. The idea of digital therapeutics started gaining traction in the early 2010s when smartphones and wearable devices became popular. Researchers and innovators thought, "Hey, why not use this tech for good and help people with their health?" And so, digital therapeutics were born!
As more and more digital health tools popped up, organizations like the FDA realized they needed to step in and make sure these tools were safe and effective. So, they started reviewing and approving digital therapeutics just like they do with traditional drugs. This way, doctors can confidently prescribe these digital helpers, and patients can trust that they're getting a safe and helpful treatment. Digital therapeutics are definitely making waves in healthcare, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for this exciting field!
FDA-approved digital therapeutics that require a prescription. Digital therapeutics are software-based therapeutic interventions designed to prevent, manage, or treat various medical conditions. These products undergo rigorous clinical trials and regulatory review to ensure their safety and efficacy before they can be prescribed by healthcare providers.
What are some examples of Digital Therapeutics that are FDA-approved or seeking approval?
A few examples of prescription digital therapeutics approved by the FDA include:
reSET and reSET-O: These are digital therapeutics developed by Pear Therapeutics designed to assist in the treatment of substance use disorder (reSET) and opioid use disorder (reSET-O) as an adjunct to standard outpatient treatment. They provide cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) through a mobile app and are meant to be used alongside traditional treatment methods like counseling and medication.
EndeavorRx: Developed by Akili Interactive Labs, EndeavorRx is a video game-style digital therapeutic designed to improve attention in children aged 8-12 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It's the first FDA-approved digital therapeutic for ADHD and is available only by prescription.
BlueStar: Developed by WellDoc, BlueStar is a mobile app that provides personalized coaching and support for adults with type 2 diabetes. It assists in tracking blood glucose levels, medication adherence, and other factors to help patients manage their condition.
Daylight: Developed by Big Health, Daylight is a digital therapeutic designed to help individuals manage symptoms of anxiety using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles.
Sleepio: Also developed by Big Health, Sleepio is a digital sleep improvement program that uses CBT techniques to help individuals with insomnia or other sleep disturbances.
Kaia COPD: Developed by Kaia Health, this digital therapeutic is designed to help patients manage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms through education, exercise, and mindfulness.
Somryst: Developed by Pear Therapeutics, Somryst is a prescription digital therapeutic intended to treat chronic insomnia in adults.
Dthera Sciences' ReminX: This digital therapeutic is designed to help reduce anxiety and depression in patients with Alzheimer's and dementia through personalized reminiscence therapy.
Clickotine: Developed by Click Therapeutics, Clickotine is a digital therapeutic designed to help individuals quit smoking through a personalized program that leverages evidence-based techniques.
MyCognition Pro: MyCognition Pro is a digital therapeutic developed by MyCognition that aims to improve cognitive health in individuals with conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, and dementia.
Voluntis' Insulia: Insulia is a digital therapeutic that supports insulin dose adjustment for people with type 2 diabetes, aiming to help patients achieve better blood glucose control.
Hello Sunday Morning's Daybreak: Daybreak is a digital program designed to support individuals looking to change their relationship with alcohol by providing a community-driven platform and evidence-based techniques.
K'sleep: Developed by K Health, K'sleep is a digital therapeutic that uses artificial intelligence and evidence-based CBT techniques to help individuals with sleep disturbances.
Hope that was helpful!