Ubiplus Developing Drug Addiction Rehabilitation DTx
"Targeting Commercialization by 2025"
"This year, we started developing a digital therapeutic device (DTx) to help rehabilitate drug addicts. In the future, addiction treatment will be accessible anytime and anywhere, not just in hospital clinics."
Jo Jae-eok, CEO of Ubiplus, a digital healthcare specialist company, said in an interview on the 21st, "DTx will contribute to solving the drug problem, which has become a serious social issue." Ubiplus was selected in April for the 'Pan-Government Full-Cycle Medical Device Research and Development (R&D)' project and is currently developing a DTx for drug addiction and rehabilitation.
Aiming for release in 2025, this year they plan to develop cognitive behavioral therapy-based content for drug addiction treatment and produce a prototype. The DTx product is named 'D-STOP.' CEO Jo explained, "'Drug addiction stops now!' is the meaning." D stands for 'Drug Addiction,' and STOP means 'Smart Treatment on Prescription.'
DTx must undergo clinical trials to prove its therapeutic effectiveness. However, there is no Korean clinical guideline for drug addiction treatment. Due to the negative perception of drug addiction, recruiting patients is difficult, and there are very few treatment institutions.
CEO Jo said, "There are only about 3 to 4 medical institutions treating drug patients in Korea," but added, "Fortunately, as awareness of drug addiction has spread, related medical institutions have agreed to cooperate." He also mentioned, "The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Pan-Government R&D project team are providing multifaceted support, including resolving difficulties and offering advice."
The recidivism rate of drug offenders is 36%, which is very high compared to the four major violent crimes. Prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation are as important as crackdowns and punishment. Korea has not established adequate treatment and rehabilitation services for drug addicts compared to overseas. CEO Jo believes this is because drug addiction has been defined solely as a criminal act. He said, "The most challenging moment for patients during drug addiction treatment is when cravings suddenly occur," and added, "With only a few drug treatment institutions in Korea, DTx can help drug addicts return healthily to society."
He continued, "Since Korea has a high level of digital familiarity, if patients follow the provided treatment well, it will be effective across all age groups," and expressed expectations that "it will be especially effective among adolescents and people in their 20s and 30s who are proficient in smartphone use."
Ubiplus is currently also conducting R&D on DTx for alcohol use disorder and mild cognitive impairment improvement. In December last year, it obtained certification for compliance with software medical device manufacturing and quality management standards from the Seoul Regional Food and Drug Administration. CEO Jo stated, "Going forward, Ubiplus will continuously develop products focused on public health, medical care, and welfare to help solve social problems."
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