Why did you decide to join the Digital Therapeutics Consorcio, and what were the key factors that led you to this decision?
Ferrer joined the Consorcio DTx in line with its commitment to sustainability and innovation in the healthcare field, and with its purpose of using business to strive for social justice. Ferrer recognizes the importance of promoting therapeutic solutions that not only improve patients’ quality of life but are also sustainable in the long term and promote health equity. Participation in the consorcio reflects Ferrer’s commitment to contributing to access to digital therapeutics that can have a beneficial impact on both people’s health and the sustainability of healthcare systems. By joining forces with other organizations in the consorcio, Ferrer demonstrates its willingness to be an active part of this transformation.
From the perspective of a promoting partner, what value do you gain by being part of the CDTx, and how has it benefited you so far?
Like all promoting partners, Ferrer benefits from this valuable collaborative framework. We recognize that no single company can independently promote the reimbursement of digital therapeutics (DTx) in Spain. Within the consortium, all members share information and establish connections to raise awareness about the relevance of DTx, leveraging the knowledge and experience of leading nations in their adoption such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium.
Together, the consorcio members engage in dialogues with key stakeholders in the administration (ministries, regional health authorities, agencies, commissions), healthcare professionals, and patients, creating a network of experts and knowledge focused on the development and integration of digital therapeutic innovations in the Spanish healthcare environment.
We can affirm that collaboration in the consorcio allows us to combine efforts to promote the recognition of DTx in Spain, and we hope to achieve their effective incorporation into the healthcare system in the near future.
Regarding digital therapeutics, what are the main challenges you face as a company?
Like many other pharmaceutical companies, our R&D portfolio consists mainly of therapeutic molecules, and now, our product strategy faces the challenge of also including digital health solutions based not on molecules, but on hardware and software medical devices. In this context, we are beginning to build compatible processes for the development and launch of DTx. This represents a significant transversal effort that involves many areas of the company: regulatory, legal, clinical trials, market access, medical, marketing, commercial, not to mention the areas preparing the proper infrastructure for data collection and analysis, as well as those dealing with technological and logistical aspects supporting new business models associated with digital products.
In which therapeutic areas are your digital therapeutics positioned? What prompted you to choose these areas?
Our R&D focuses on offering transformative therapeutic solutions for patients living with serious diseases in two main areas: neurological disorders and pulmonary diseases of vascular or interstitial origin. Therefore, when developing digital products and services, we also focus on these two major areas to create synergies with medications, provide non-invasive therapeutic support to patients, and facilitate the work of healthcare professionals and caregivers.
The use of DTx as a complement to pharmacological treatments offers a series of significant benefits fully aligned with the 5P plan of the National Health System (personalized, predictive, preventive, participatory, and population-based medicine).
At Ferrer, we like to present DTx and pharmaceutical products as part of the same value proposition. Currently, we have emerging digital projects in Parkinson’s Disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, as well as a more advanced project in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.
What opportunities and challenges do you foresee in the field of digital therapeutics in the coming years? How do you see their future in your therapeutic areas?
We believe that digital health will play a crucial role in increasing global accessibility to healthcare delivery («Health for All»), while having the potential to improve clinical outcomes for patients, reduce healthcare costs, and ease the burden of chronic diseases for professionals and caregivers.
In the particular case of DTx, there are significant advantages for pharmaceutical companies that develop them.
First, the integration of digital therapeutics allows companies to maximize the therapeutic potential of our assets. By complementing pharmacological treatments with digital solutions, we create a synergy that can offer additional benefits for patients and improve health outcomes.
Second, DTx allows companies to positively differentiate themselves in a competitive environment. This means standing out in a saturated market where multiple generations of treatments for the same indication coexist simultaneously.
Third, DTx also has the potential to increase the preferences of patients and other key decision-makers regarding treatment options. Combining pharmacological treatments with digital solutions can result in a more attractive value proposition that better meets the needs of patients and caregivers.
Finally, DTx contributes to the efficiency of our clinical trials in today’s complex R&D landscape. They provide an efficient way to collect data, speeding up the process of obtaining crucial information for evaluating treatment efficacy. The ability to provide robust and convincing data to regulators and payers, supported by the integration of DTx, has the potential to favorably influence regulatory and access decisions.
If possible, could you share any specific digital therapeutic you are currently working on or have launched on the market? What features and benefits would you highlight?
PAHcare™ is a support solution for adult patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) co-developed by Ferrer and the start-up Wellthy Therapeutics. It consists of a platform with various interfaces (one for the patient, one for the treating physician, and one for the health advisor). It offers a program based on the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society (ESC/ERS) to improve the follow-up and lifestyle of patients with PAH, complementing pharmacological therapy to reduce disease progression and maintain patients in a low-risk state.
The program, through a mobile application certified as a medical device, offers clinically validated information, emotional and educational support, and tools for monitoring symptoms and activities with the goal of helping patients optimize their daily management and providing holistic care that enhances their emotional and physical well-being.
What do you consider to be the main barriers to the widespread adoption of digital therapeutics? What measures are you taking to overcome them?
The obstacles to DTx adoption include the challenge of generating solid clinical evidence, the need to get the user experience right, and the difficulty of managing complex regulatory considerations. However, there is still a long way to go in Spain regarding pricing/reimbursement and integration into healthcare systems. In most countries, regulators are still establishing evaluation frameworks for DTx, and here, pharmaceutical companies and payers have the opportunity to introduce new value-based payment models (Value-Based Health Care).
Additionally, regarding data collection and analysis, it is necessary to address patient and authority concerns about privacy and security. It is also essential to be aware that some DTx require specific data collection and analysis processes that must not add pressure to healthcare capacity and professionals.
Finally, another barrier to the widespread adoption of DTx is the lack of specific digital training in the sector. This contributes to a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed both among healthcare professionals and within pharmaceutical companies.
Lastly, we would appreciate it if you could draft a brief inspirational quote that summarizes your vision on the potential of DTx.
«Through technology, we weave a healthier and more equitable world. Digital health transcends geographical barriers, bringing the promise of ‘Health for All’ closer.»
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