On April 19, 2023, WELT-I, a digital treatment device for insomnia, jointly developed by total healthcare company Handok and digital healthcare company WELT Corp., obtained approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).

WELT-I is based on medically proven cognitive behavioral therapy, which is currently recommended as a first-line treatment in clinical practice guidelines. Of particular note is that it provides therapy customized to patient sleep patterns.

In a clinical trial conducted by WELT on 120 patients with insomnia, WELT-I significantly improved sleep efficiency. Sleep efficiency is an objective, quantitative indicator based on a patient’s sleep data.

WELT-I is available with a doctor’s prescription. Once a prescribed insomnia patient installs WELT-I on their smartphone, it delivers precise sleep restriction therapy, education on sleep hygiene, stimulus control therapy, cognitive restructuring, and relaxation therapy for eight weeks according to their sleep pattern to improve insomnia symptoms.

With approval from the MFDS, Handok and WELT will strengthen their strategic collaboration to commercialize WELT-I. The two companies will combine WELT’s prominent research capabilities with Handok’s overall business capabilities in licensing, salary, marketing, and sales, among others, to create significant results in the emerging field of digital therapeutic devices.

Handok and WELT entered an equity investment and partnership in 2021, with Handok retaining domestic rights to WELT-I. Handok has a long history of experience in the field of insomnia, having been responsible for the most prescribed sleeping pill, Stilnox. Through a variety of products, it has also acquired business competitiveness in medical devices as well as in the field of unmet medical needs, including central nervous system (CNS) diseases and rare diseases.