Wellthy Therapeutics is a digital therapeutics company that uses artificial intelligence and patient-centric design to improve patient outcomes for all stakeholders in diabetes care. Wellthy’s Digital Diabetes Management Programme facilitates behavior change and self-management for patients, while helping physicians to enable continual care using technology. Furthermore, it is the first endorsed digital diabetes intervention by Asia’s largest diabetes association Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI).
The Co-Founder and CEO of Wellthy Therapeutics, Abhishek Shah took the questions from BioVoice News on company’s current operations, digital therapeutics and much more
Please tell us about the Wealthy’s inception and growth story. What are your latest priorities?
Wellthy Therapeutics was born when a bunch of us – healthcare entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers, designers, consultants and venture capitalists – who shared a passion for tackling diabetes and chronic diseases came together. We all have family members close to us who are suffering from diabetes or hypertension, and we felt a gap in healthcare that a digital therapeutic pill could solve.
My parents are first-gen healthcare entrepreneurs themselves, so this was never an if, but always a when. After mentoring and helping fund several startups as a venture capitalist, I finally found my calling to start my own venture in 2015. As an idea evolved into a business, the founding team came together.
Our latest priorities include continued clinical validation led with South Asia’s largest clinical trial for a digital diabetes intervention; improving the product and efficacy with a better technology stack and artificial intelligence capabilities; and improving user experience with an improved design.
How is the Wellthy’s Digital Diabetes Management Programme making a difference in the lives of patients?
We improve outcomes. But more importantly, we improve quality of life. Whether it’s reversing diabetes in some cases, to more confidence to manage diabetes in all cases – we help patients deal with the condition head on. In the process, we aspire to make patients happier. We help solve their worries. We ensure patients don’t feel they’re in this alone. We are their health partner – committed to help patients get better, and keep them better.
Our program was designed to do just that. 2018 will see thousands more benefit, with tangible improvements in their blood sugar control and health vitals within a few weeks of starting the program.
How did the Wellthy partner with RSSDI to conduct the first-ever clinical trial on a diabetes app in India? What has been the outcome?
Our conversations with the RSSDI began like any other – as a casual mention in a short interaction at a conference. A combination of incredible doctors at the RSSDI committed to improving patient outcomes and of a young company like ours committed to making a real tangible difference to patient outcomes, allowed the conversation to blossom. Continual clinical validation with global publications allowed both sides to gain confidence in the solution, and led to an eventual endorsement from the RSSDI as South Asia’s first prescribable digital diabetes intervention.
Clinical validation can and should never stop. 2018 belongs to South Asia’s largest randomized clinical trial for digital diabetes intervention, which is currently in the final stages of planning. We expect to have the results towards the end of 2018.
“While the opportunities are many, digital therapeutics remain a largely unregulated space – innovators need to work with the regulators to change that”