Japanese startup CureApp has entered into a license agreement with Sawai Group Holdings for the development and marketing of a digital therapeutics (DTx) solution in the NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis) field.

With the conclusion of this agreement, the Sawai Group obtains exclusive rights concerning the development and marketing of the app indicated for the treatment of NASH.

Under this agreement, the company is set to receive up to 10.5 billion yen in total in the form of a lump sum contractual payment, and as additional payments for milestones reached based on future clinical development progress and sales targets. After launch, the company plans to introduce the app at medical institutions via its proprietary app prescription service (APS).

NASH primarily develops in obese patients, and there is thought to be some two million NASH patients in Japan today (with a further 10 million people prime candidates to develop the condition in the future). However, currently, the main focus is on daily lifestyle guidance, including diet and exercise therapy for weight loss.

Further, even if outpatients get the proper guidance, a strict diet and exercise regimen has proved difficult for patients to maintain through their own efforts. To this end, app-based solutions are hoped to provide a promising treatment solution for NASH based on the anticipated effect of having the app notify patients of a daily behavior therapy regimen that is tailored to their needs while providing a visual guide as to the patient’s status, maximizing the effect of behavior therapy without placing undue burden on the patient or medical practitioners.