Accelerating Healthcare 'Digital Transformation'... K-Digital Health at CES

CES Innovation Award Introduces New 'Digital Health' Category
SK Biopharm, Emotive, Weisen Among Winners

SK Biopharm's Wearable Device for Epilepsy
Emotive's ADHD Treatment DTx Through Gaming
Weisen's AI-Assisted Endoscopy and Cough Analysis

In January last year, visitors and press entered the exhibition hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada, USA, where 'CES 2022' was held. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Digital healthcare companies, once considered to be in the realm of home appliances and IT companies, have also thrown their hats into the ring at CES. Various domestic and international digital healthcare companies are predicting fierce technological competition as they receive 'Innovation Awards' ahead of next year's CES.

According to industry sources on the 18th, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which organizes CES in the United States, awards the 'Innovation Award' by pre-evaluating entries before the exhibition held every January. For the first time, the digital health category was added to the award sections for next year, reflecting various trends in healthcare digital transformation.

This movement is said to have been observed starting from this year's CES held in January. Robert Ford, CEO of the in vitro diagnostics company Abbott, became the first healthcare company representative to deliver a keynote speech, and Abbott's continuous glucose monitor (CGM) 'FreeStyle Libre' received the 'Best of Innovation Award,' given to the highest-rated entries in each category. In addition to the existing home appliance and IT sectors, various healthcare companies actively used CES as a promotional platform.

Next year's CES 2023 is also showing acceleration in digital transformation as numerous domestic and international healthcare companies participate. Among domestic companies, SK Biopharm, Emotive, Weisen, Mediwell, and Dr. Now stand out by receiving innovation awards for digital therapeutics (DTx), biomarker measurement through wearable devices, and AI-based diagnostic image interpretation, which are considered the forefront areas of digital healthcare.

SK Biopharm's wearable device 'Zero Wired' (Photo by SK Biopharm)

SK Biopharm's self-developed wearable devices 'Zero Glass' and 'Zero Wired' were selected as Innovation Award winners. Through the mobile application 'Zero App,' complex biomarkers such as brain waves, electrocardiograms, and movement can be measured.

SK Biopharm plans to develop Zero Wired and Zero App into medical devices for detecting and predicting epileptic seizures through clinical validation. This is interpreted as part of the digital therapeutics (DTx) development project being promoted to create synergy with its own FDA-approved epilepsy treatment drug 'Cenobamate.'

Among DTx companies, Emotive's 'Star Ruckus' was also selected as an award-winning product. It is a DTx that tests and treats children's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) through games. In the United States, similarly, Akili Interactive's 'Endeavor Rx,' which also uses games, has received FDA approval and is used as a treatment for pediatric ADHD.

Weisen simultaneously won innovation awards for three products. In the digital health category, 'Weimed Cough' and 'Weimed Endo Pro,' and in the software & mobile app category, 'Weimed Ebus' were selected as award-winning products. Weimed Cough is an app that screens respiratory health by analyzing users' breathing and coughing sounds. Weimed Endo Pro is AI image analysis software that assists in gastrointestinal endoscopy interpretation. It was recognized for its innovation in having a collaborative system that shares related images with medical professionals in other countries beyond simple real-time analysis. Weimed Ebus is AI analysis software that predicts lung cancer metastasis through endobronchial ultrasound (Ebus).

Additionally, Mediwell's AI cardiovascular risk assessment software 'Reti-CVD' (domestic name Dr. Noon), which predicts cardiovascular disease occurrence by analyzing retinal blood vessels through retinal imaging, and Dr. Now's telemedicine and prescription drug delivery service were also selected as Innovation Award winners.

CES 2023 Innovation Award Winner Logo (Photo by CTA)

The highest innovation award in the digital health category was given to Singapore medtech company Aevice Health's smart wearable stethoscope 'AeviceMD.' This coin-sized stethoscope records all related symptoms when attached, facilitating the diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory diseases. It also supports remote patient monitoring functions, allowing doctors to check patients' cardiopulmonary health conditions.

The CGM that attracted attention at this year's CES was again selected as an award-winning product with Dexcom's 'G7.' It was recognized for its innovation in not only continuously measuring blood glucose levels but also predicting them to provide early hypoglycemia alerts.