Development Pipeline for Japanese DTx Startups
58 products, 33 therapeutic areas, and 29 startups.
Hi! It’s Shotaro 👋
The number of digital therapeutics (DTx), software used for treating diseases, has been on the rise for some time in Japan, showing a vibrant development scene.
To visualize the scene, I compiled a list of developing startups and therapeutic areas.
How the chart was created
Firstly, the development stages for each therapeutic area were classified.
The categorization of development stages for each therapeutic area has been refined into five distinct phases:
Product development
Early clinical trials
Pivotal trials
Medical device approval
Prescription started
Companies' inclusion was determined if they met at least one of the following conditions:
A publicly announced manufacturing and sales license or registration for medical devices.
Publicly available information on products in clinical trials found on jRCT or UMIN.
It should be noted that the visualization was independently created, and while accuracy and comprehensiveness are sought, they are not fully guaranteed. Additionally, company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
For any publication concerns or requests for inclusion in future updates, inquiries can be directed to (Contact: info@savemedical.jp). Shotaro is the founder / CEO of Save Medical Corp.
Quick facts
58 DTx products are identified, representing approximately 30-40% of those developed in the U.S. (comparing with Blue Matter Consulting article)
The most competitive therapeutic area was “diabetes” followed by “cardiac rehabilitation”, “depression”, and “breast cancer”.
The DTx products are targeting 33 therapeutic areas.
A total of 29 start-up developers working on DTx for Japan market intention.
Some Thoughts
There are notable differences in the therapeutic areas being developed compared to the U.S., this difference is likely due to Japan's aging population distribution, resulting in a relatively high number of patients with lifestyle-related diseases and cardiovascular conditions. The prominence of obesity and cognition-related developments also supports this view.
Japanese startups are grappling with the challenge of targeting the elderly population as their primary app user demographic. While smartphone ownership among the elderly in Japan is relatively high, demonstrating the effectiveness of therapeutic app concepts is an entirely separate matter.
Aside from that, finding a robust business model for DTx is still a big issue in Japan just like other countries. The key evaluation will be the sales performance following the insurance reimbursement and the launch of SUSMED's Insomnia DTx, which is slated to take place in a few months.
For the next few years, DTx will remain in the dawn of its industry phase in Japan, with many challenges to be overcome. Anyone who is interested in considering a project together or wishes to have a discussion is always welcome!