TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CureApp, a Tokyo-based company that develops “Digital Therapeutics (DTx),” was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers”. CureApp, founded by Kohta Satake MD/MPH/MBA and Shin Suzuki MD, is a pioneering digital therapeutics company that aims to re-evolve the future of "therapeutics" with software via clinical app research and development.
CureApp's products embrace the power of technology and the deep medical knowledge of healthcare professionals to effectively provide patient-tailored personalized guidance. Encouraging patients to improve their lifestyle by raising their awareness and changing their behavior ultimately leads to the improvement of their disease conditions. CureApp was the first company to launch DTx clinical studies in Japan, pioneering the field. In 2019, they completed a large-scale phase III randomized control trial for their first product for nicotine addiction, which is currently under review for the first-ever DTx regulatory approval in Japan. Development and clinical trials on therapeutic applications for hypertension and NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) are also underway. They founded their U.S. subsidiary last year to leverage their advancement in the field in Japan and begin to rollout a global operation.
The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and are poised to have a significant impact on business and society. Technology Pioneers community is an integral part of the larger Global Innovators community of start-ups at the World Economic Forum.
Following its selection as Technology Pioneer, Kohta Satake, CEO of CureApp, will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events and discussions throughout the year. CureApp will also contribute to World Economic Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with policymakers and private sector leaders to help define the global agenda on key issues.
“We’re excited to welcome CureApp to our 20th cohort of Technology Pioneers,” says Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum. CureApp and its fellow pioneers are developing cutting edge technologies all over the world. Beyond their innovations, these firms are contributing greatly to improving the state of the world.”
“It’s great to be named a pioneer by the World Economic Forum”, said CureApp’s Kohta Satake. “There are a number of diseases that cannot be effectively treated with existing pharmaceutical and medical equipment treatment approaches. But with the evolution of technology, it is becoming clear that lifestyle interventions with mobile apps produce remarkable therapeutic effects for various disease groups that were difficult to approach with traditional interventions. We strive to progress forward to provide effective therapeutics for such conditions. We aim for a world where personalized digital therapeutics is widely adopted and prescribed by physicians, and our mobile applications become a natural choice in evidence-based medical practice. We are looking forward to contributing to the World Economic Forum dialogues on this challenge.”
This year’s cohort selection marks the 20th anniversary of the Tech Pioneers community. Throughout its 20-year run, many Technology Pioneers have continuously contributed to advancement in their industries while some have even gone on to become household names. Past recipients include Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia.
2020 Tech Pioneer firms are shaping the future by advancing technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, biotechnology and many more. The diversity of these companies extends to their leadership as well, as over 25% of 2020 Tech Pioneers are female led. The firms also come from regions all around the world, extending their community far beyond Silicon Valley. The full list of Technology Pioneers can be found here.
Technology Pioneers have been selected based on the community’s selection criteria, which includes innovation, impact and leadership as well as the company’s relevance with the World Economic Forum’s Platforms.
All info on this year’s Technology Pioneers can be found here: http://wef.ch/techpioneers20
More information on past winners, information on the community and the application link can be found here.
About CureApp: CureApp develops software as a medical device “Digital Therapeutics” mobile applications. We are one of the pioneer companies in the global field of digital therapeutics.
About World Economic Forum: The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. (www.weforum.org).
About the Global Innovators:
The Global Innovators Community is a group of the world’s most promising start-ups and scale-ups that are at the forefront of technological and business model innovation. The World Economic Forum provides the Global Innovators Community with a platform to engage with public- and private-sector leaders and to contribute new solutions to overcome current crises and build future resiliency.
Companies who are invited to become Global Innovators will engage with one or more of the Forum’s Platforms, as relevant, to help define the global agenda on key issues.
CureApp Inc. Company Profile
Company name: CureApp (CureApp, Inc.)
CEO: Kohta Satake
Head Office: Kodenmacho YS Building 4th Floor, 12-5, Kodenmacho, Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo.
US subsidiary (CureApp North America, Inc.): 440 N Wolfe Rd, Sunnyvale CA, 94085
URL: https://cureapp.co.jp/en/index.html
At present, the development status of "Digital Therapeutics" is as follows.
- Nicotine Addiction Digital Therapeutics (Randomized control trial completed in May 2019): Jointly developed with Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Keio University School of Medicine. The first large-scale DTx RCT was completed in May 2019. It is currently under review for regulatory approval.
- Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Digital Therapeutics: Jointly developed with The University of Tokyo Hospital. Phase I clinical research began in October 2016, and a multicenter phase II clinical study began in April 2018.
- Hypertension Digital Therapeutics: Jointly developed with Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Jichi Medical University School of Medicine. Currently undergoing a phase III clinical trial that started in December 2019.
