China Emerges as a Potential Leader in Digital Therapeutics
Beijing, Wednesday, 28 May 2025.
China’s digital therapeutics sector is advancing rapidly, showing promise in personalized treatments. Key challenges include clinical trial standardization and regulatory frameworks, offering global insights.
Evolution of Digital Therapeutics in China
The evolution and adoption of Digital Therapeutics (DTx) in China have been driven by the country’s rapid technological advancements and government support. The DTx market in China, valued at approximately USD 0.5 billion in 2023, is projected to grow significantly, reaching USD 2.92 billion by 2030, with an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.7% [1][2].
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the promising growth, China’s DTx landscape faces several challenges, including the lack of standardized clinical trials and clear regulatory frameworks. The Chinese government’s recognition of digital health as a growth sector, as highlighted in the ‘Healthy China 2030’ initiative, supports the development of robust policies for DTx [3][4]. This environment creates a fertile ground for diversification and expansion of applications in chronic disease management [1][2][5].
Clinical Trials and Evidence
A comprehensive review identified 96 clinical trials on DTx in China, with a focus on cognitive disorders (22%) and diabetes (21%) being the most frequently studied areas. These trials lacked standardized methodologies, posing challenges for consistent evaluation. Meta-analysis for diabetes DTx highlighted a trend towards improvement in hemoglobin A1c levels, though not statistically significant [6]. Conversely, significant improvements were noted for DTx in cognitive function with standardized mean differences (SMD) of 0.65 [7].
Commercial and Regulatory Landscape
China’s commercial DTx landscape is diverse, with 97 active solutions primarily targeting cognitive and ophthalmic diseases. Regulatory processes largely rely on general medical device policies, advocating for the need of DTx-specific frameworks. Emerging regional policies aim to address these gaps and bolster industry growth, further supported by varied reimbursement strategies including value-based pricing models [8][9][10].