Quit smoking with this. September 25, 19:11
If you go to the hospital now, you will get a prescription for the medicine from the doctor. However, in the not-so-distant future, doctors may get a prescription for downloading the app to their smartphones saying, “I will prescribe this app for your treatment.”
Did you know that the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law was revised five years ago? If the app used on smartphones is recognized as a medical device and the MHLW approves that the app is useful for treatment, medical insurance will be applied in the same way as drugs. And now, venture companies and major pharmaceutical companies are embarking on the development of therapeutic apps. How is it different from a health management app? Covered the cutting-edge site. (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Satomi Mogi)
“Non-smoking treatment” app
A medical venture in Tokyo, CureApp. Five years after its establishment, this company with 69 employees is now trying to achieve the “first in Japan”. That is the practical application of therapeutic applications.
The company has filed an application with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to approve an app aimed at treating tobacco addiction as a medical device.
President Yuta Satake (37) is an active doctor specializing in respiratory internal medicine. While studying in the United States, learn about the existence of treatment apps for diabetics that were put to practical use locally. In Japan, he decided to start a business because he thought that demand for therapeutic applications would increase in the future.
“I was interested in a different approach to treatment than conventional drugs. In Japan, there were revisions to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, so I tried to do it myself. There are many illnesses that can't be cured by drugs or surgery alone. I think the app has great potential to help patients suffering from those illnesses. "
What is expected of the app? It fills the time between doctor visits.
For example, you may go to a hospital in a non-smoking outpatient department and try to quit smoking immediately after talking with a doctor, but you may give up during the “treatment gap” until the next outpatient about one month later. It is said to play a role to fill it.
The company-developed app manages the patient's breath carbon monoxide concentration measured with a dedicated device. The concentration of carbon monoxide is said to be effective for understanding smoking status. With the app, doctors can check remotely whether smoking continues.
The app also provides a video to learn what tobacco dependence is for patients who are unable to continue quitting due to psychological factors, as well as medical expertise when they want to smoke. There is also a function that advises "Let's chew gum" using the chat function with built-in, and sympathizes with and encourages.
In preparation for the application, the company conducted a clinical trial with about 600 patients in non-smoking outpatient clinics in cooperation with 31 medical institutions in Japan.
Compared to the group treated with smoking cessation outpatients using conventional smoking cessation aids and the group treated with the application developed by the company.
As a result, at the end of 24 weeks, the rate of continued smoking cessation for patients who combined with the app was 63.9%, which was 13.4 points higher than that for conventional non-smoking patients.
The company is expected to be approved as a medical device for the first time in Japan as a therapeutic application this fiscal year, and the company aims to apply and sell insurance next year.
The fee is a concern, but how much the patient will pay to use the treatment app will be decided after the insurance is approved.
Why apps
Why are apps used in the medical field? In the background, there is a problem that social security costs continue to increase due to an increase in medical costs due to aging and the development costs of huge new drugs.
For this reason, the government has promoted medical reform by utilizing IT. As a result, the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law was revised in 2014, and apps were also recognized as pharmaceutical products.
The development of apps is less expensive than the development of new drugs, and it is expected that the same effects as drugs will be obtained.
The treatment app was first introduced in the United States. An app for the treatment of diabetes has been developed and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2010, the first US Department of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The areas where the characteristics of therapeutic applications are utilized are areas where complete administration cannot be expected just by administering drugs or performing surgery.
For example, treatment of smoking cessation and mental illness, which are largely dependent on the patient's efforts, such as diabetes and hypertension, and treatments in these fields are being developed in Japan. .
What is different from the health management app in Chichima? In short, it is necessary to prove the effect through clinical trials. For example, the medical ventures introduced at the beginning have been shown to be effective in quitting smoking after many clinical trials.
Pharmaceutical companies rush to develop
Leading pharmaceutical companies are paying attention to the possibility of therapeutic applications.
Shionogi has developed an application for children as a treatment for ADHD = attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, a developmental disorder, and plans to start a clinical trial within the next fiscal year. Playing like a game, the brain is stimulated and activated.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical is also working with an American company to develop an app for the treatment of depression, aiming for practical application in the United States.
A treatment app that expands
The trend of using apps for medical treatment is just beginning to move in Japan, but it is unknown how much apps are actually developed and how far they can spread.
However, in pharmaceutical companies, compared to the huge development costs of new drugs, apps that can be developed at a cost of several hundred million yen are attractive.
It's also good for society if you want to curb medical costs. I would like to continue to report on how our treatment will change from next year, when treatment apps will be launched in earnest.
Satomi Mogi, reporter of the economic department
Joined NHK after working as a free paper editor.
Ministry of Economic Affairs from 2017 after Saitama Bureau and Morioka Bureau