Weisen Selected for Full-Cycle Medical Device R&D Project with Panic Disorder DTx

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Weisen announced on the 19th that it has been finally selected for the 2022 2nd Pan-Ministerial Full-Cycle Medical Device R&D Project, the '4th Industrial Revolution and Future Medical Environment Leading Project,' with the development of a digital therapeutic (DTx) for panic disorder. This is the second DTx-related contract following last year's brain disease DTx project.

Through this project, Weisen plans to develop a DTx that can treat panic disorder by analyzing smartphone digital data and biometric data using artificial intelligence. Additionally, during the four-year project period, it aims to establish a commercialization foundation by receiving support for clinical trials and regulatory approval for productization.

The Pan-Ministerial Full-Cycle Medical Device R&D Project is a national project jointly planned by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to lead the future medical environment in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Notably, the psychiatry team led by Professor Kim Jae-jin of Gangnam Severance Hospital is participating as a joint research institution, making it significant that all stages of the project will be carried out collaboratively by companies and medical professionals.

Weisen is expected to receive approximately 4 billion KRW in project funding over four years through this project. Using this, it plans to develop a DTx that builds digital phenotypes based on digital and physical data of panic disorder patients and provides curated personalized training/education content for each patient.

Panic disorder is a representative anxiety disorder with the highest one-year prevalence among mental disorders. However, clinical treatment has faced limitations due to patients' burdens from intermittent outpatient visits, medication, and the high cost of cognitive behavioral therapy. The use of mobile platform-based DTx is expected to significantly improve the quality of clinical care as well as the mental health of the public. In particular, digital transformation such as mobile-based self-training content that can be immediately applied to alleviate symptoms during panic attacks and continuous monitoring of patients' biometric signals during daily life is expected to contribute not only to individual mental health but also to reducing social burdens.