[GoodBrain2022] Megan Coder "DTx Will Change How Patients and Healthcare Meet"

Good Brain 2022 International Conference

Megan Coder, DTA Vice President of Policy
'Challenges for DTx Growth'

"Enabling Treatment Tailored to Individual Situations"
"Healthcare Providers Can Also Bring 'Expansion of Treatment'"

Focus on Korea's DTx Development: "Growing Rapidly"

Megan Coder, Vice President of Policy at the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA), is giving a lecture via video on the topic of "Challenges for the Growth of DTx" at the "Good Brain 2022 International Conference" hosted by Asia Economy on the 21st at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] "Digital Therapeutics (DTx) will completely change the way patients interact with the healthcare system to better meet patients' needs."

Megan Coder, Chief Policy Officer (CPO) of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA), emphasized in a video lecture titled "Challenges for DTx Growth" at the 'Good Brain 2022 International Conference' hosted by Asia Economy on the afternoon of the 21st at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, that through DTx, "patients can receive treatment at home according to their own company or school schedules," and "DTx will provide various benefits to patients." Coder is one of the founding members who established DTA in 2017. She currently leads projects such as the international standardization of DTx as the CPO of DTA.

Coder also highlighted that the benefits of DTx extend not only to patients but also to healthcare providers. She pointed out, "Typically, clinicians meet patients once every 1 to 3 months, so they cannot interact with patients as much as they want," and explained, "By utilizing DTx, the data generated can be provided to doctors, allowing them to understand the patient's lifestyle, thereby expanding the scope of treatment."

Currently, various discussions are taking place worldwide regarding DTx. The most concentrated discussions focus on how to regulate and approve it. Coder stated, "DTA is exploring how to define DTx so that regulatory agencies can recognize it," adding, "We are at the initial stage of this process." She also added, "We are working with organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to ensure this definition is recognized and used globally."

In addition, DTA is promoting the launch of a policy-centered alliance. Following bases in North America and Europe, efforts are ongoing to form an Asia-Pacific Policy Task Group. In Korea, Director Ju-Young Kim of Welt is participating as a co-chair of the Asia-Pacific Task Group.

DTx Value Assessment & Integration Guide

DTA's 'DTx Value Assessment & Integration Guide' released this year is one of the outcomes of DTA's efforts in this regard. Coder explained, "It helps developers verify whether their products qualify as DTx, identify which therapeutic areas they belong to, and understand what points policymakers should consider during the regulatory process."

Regarding the DTx business model, she said, "Since it is developing multifacetedly based on various mechanisms, it is difficult to present a single model," but suggested, "Partnerships among governments, companies, payors, manufacturers, patients, and physicians will be an indispensable element in any business model." Through this, she emphasized, "Decision-makers and manufacturers must consider the entire process to ensure patients receive optimal treatment."

Coder also noted her attention to the recent development of the Korean DTx industry. She said, "Since 2020, the Korean DTx industry has been growing remarkably fast," and added, "We expect patients to benefit from this."

▶ Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA)

DTA was established in 2017 to spread understanding of DTx and activate the industry. About 15 organizations from Korea participate in DTA. Companies such as Welt, Herings, Imocog, AimMed, Blessings, Doctor Diary, S-Alpha Therapeutics, Atomus, GoQuba Technology, Mediplus Solution, NuxBio, PlayToCure, EverX, and general hospitals including Yonsei Medical Center and Chung-Ang University Hospital are members.