What Centre for Digital Therapeutics does

The Centre for Digital Therapeutics (CDTx) is a research and development unit embedded within University Health Network (UHN) and based inside Toronto General Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Originally founded in 2002 as the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation and rebranded in September 2022, the organization develops evidence-based digital therapeutics for chronic disease management across multiple conditions including heart failure (Medly), Type 1 diabetes (bant, KiT), asthma and COPD (Breathe), chronic pain in youth (iCanCope with Pain), and cancer survivorship (NED, Watchman). Its technology foundation is built on rules-based expert systems augmented with machine learning for detecting clinical deterioration (e.g., heart failure decompensation, asthma exacerbation), delivered through mobile applications, web platforms, voice apps on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and integrations with medical devices such as Bluetooth spirometers and smart inhaler caps. The Centre has held ISO 13485 certification since 2014 for its Software as a Medical Device quality management system.

The Centre's commercial model is hybrid and atypical relative to venture-backed digital health companies. As an internal UHN research unit rather than an independent legal entity, the organization is primarily funded through competitive research grants and industry partnerships, having attracted over $160M in cumulative external funding since 2002 against an original $6M investment. Revenue also flows through industry partnerships such as the January 2023 collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim Canada (financial resources plus in-kind strategic, project management, and marketing services to scale Medly), partnerships with Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Best Care for the Breathe respiratory ecosystem, and integration with Memorial Sloan Kettering, SickKids, and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for clinical deployment. Products are deployed as standard of care within UHN clinical programs (Medly since 2016), expanded externally through industry and academic partnerships, and made available as direct-to-patient mobile and web applications, with documented clinical outcomes including a 50% reduction in heart failure-related hospitalizations. The Centre has been entirely self-sustaining for 15+ years and operates without disclosed venture capital or private equity investment.

Name

Centre for Digital Therapeutics

Legal name

Centre for Digital Therapeutics

Website

https://centrefordigitaltherapeutics.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centre for Digital Therapeutics is a research unit within University Health Network that develops evidence-based digital therapeutics — including Medly, bant, Breathe, NED, and iCanCope — for chronic disease management across heart failure, diabetes, respiratory, pain, and cancer survivorship, deployed via clinical partnerships and patient-facing mobile applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Therapeutics

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Medication Adherence, Digital Therapeutics & Remote Coaching (condition-specific programs) (HLALAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Care Navigation, Referral & Digital Front Door Platforms (HLALABAH), Therapeutic Companion Apps (Drug-Device-Digital Combination) (HLACANAH), Pediatrics & Adolescent Therapeutics (Digital) (HLACANAL), Oncology Remote Symptom Monitoring & Care Navigation (HLALAFAD), Adherence, Reminders & Engagement Automation (Medication/Follow-up) (HLACAEAJ)

Keywords

• Digital therapeutics
• Chronic disease management
• Mobile health apps
• Clinical decision support
• Software as a medical device

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and External Funding: The Centre has attracted over $160M in external funding through its staff scientists, students, and associates. As a research unit within UHN, it operates as a self-sustaining academic research group funded primarily through competitive research grants, industry partnerships, and institutional support. The original $6M investment in 2002 has generated over $160M in external funding.
2. Industry Partnerships and Commercialization: Revenue is generated through industry partnerships that contribute financial resources and in-kind services to advance and scale digital therapeutic programs. For example, Boehringer Ingelheim Canada contributes both financial resources and consultative services (strategic planning, project management, communications/marketing) to expand the Medly Program. The Centre is also developing a new commercialization pipeline to scale, spread, and sustain global impact.
3. Clinical Deployment within Healthcare Systems: Digital therapeutics are deployed as standard of care within hospital systems (e.g., Medly at UHN since 2016) and billed/ reimbursed through standard healthcare delivery as part of clinical programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centre for Digital Therapeutics designs, develops, and clinically validates Software as a Medical Device digital therapeutics for chronic disease self-management, delivering mobile, web, and voice-based applications (Medly, bant, iCanCope, Breathe, NED, Watchman, Caretown, KiT). Products use rules-based expert system algorithms and machine learning to provide real-time patient monitoring, symptom tracking, and decision support, deployed as standard of care within healthcare systems such as UHN. The Centre also generates peer-reviewed clinical evidence and operates an ISO 13485-certified quality management system supporting regulatory clearance from Health Canada and the FDA.

Product overview

The Centre for Digital Therapeutics operates as a portfolio of distinct digital therapeutic products addressing chronic disease management across multiple conditions. The core product suite includes Medly (heart failure management with voice app capability), bant (diabetes management for youth), iCanCope with Pain (chronic pain for adolescents), NED (cancer survivorship care), and Breathe (respiratory health for asthma/COPD). These products share a common approach of expert-system decision support, patient-reported outcomes tracking, and clinical team integration. Supporting sub-products include Watchman (testicular cancer virtual care built on Ned), Caretown (dyadic caregiver module for heart failure), and KiT (transition support chatbot for Type 1 Diabetes). The portfolio is connected through shared technology infrastructure including rules-based expert systems, patient engagement platforms, and clinical workflow integration, while maintaining disease-specific customization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Medly: Digital therapeutic for heart failure patients enabling self-management through daily monitoring and real-time clinical team alerts.
• bant
• iCanCope with Pain
• Breathe
• NED
• Keeping in Touch (KiT)
• Caretown
• Watchman

Products and services

• Medly Digital therapeutic for heart failure self-management that turns a patient's phone or watch into a daily monitoring system, tracking vitals and flagging concerning changes to clinical teams in real time. Includes Medly Voice skill for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart speakers. Evidence-based 50% reduction in heart failure-related hospitalizations and 24% reduction in all-cause hospitalizations.
• bant Mobile health application making diabetes management easier, more personal, and accessible for adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.
• iCanCope with Pain Digital therapeutic helping youth manage chronic pain through a mobile health application co-designed with young people living with chronic pain.
• Breathe Digital respiratory ecosystem improving lung health for people living with asthma and COPD by detecting exacerbations, supporting medication adherence, and integrating with Bluetooth spirometers and smart inhaler caps.
• NED (No Evidence of Disease) Virtual follow-up care platform for cancer survivorship, providing personalized prostate cancer survivorship care through a mobile health application.
• Watchman Virtual follow-up visits platform for testicular cancer survivors in the active surveillance phase, featuring asynchronous visit care, messaging, and dedicated navigator features.
• Caretown Family and community-centered digital health module for heart failure that enables caregiver accounts with live reports, care coordination, and family communication to support dyadic care.
• Keeping in Touch (KiT) Bilingual text-message-based chatbot supporting young adults with Type 1 Diabetes through the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care by providing educational content and care navigation support.
• Medly Voice Voice-based Medly interface deployed as a voice app through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart speakers, enabling heart failure patients to input health measurements and receive guidance via conversational interaction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% reduction in heart failure-related hospitalizations and 24% reduction in all-cause hospitalizations (Medly Program)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boehringer Ingelheim Canada Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023UHN and Boehringer Ingelheim Canada partnered in January 2023 to expand patient reach of the Medly Program — an innovative digital therapeutic solution that delivers the benefits of specialized clinical heart failure management at home while improving quality of life and reducing hospitalizations. Boehringer Ingelheim contributes both financial resources and in-kind consultative services spanning strategic planning, project management, and communications/marketing resources. The partnership aims to deploy Medly to smaller Ontario communities and scale the program beyond UHN and the therapeutic area of heart failure.
• AGE-WELL NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022AGE-WELL is Canada's leading technology and aging network driving research and innovation at 46 partner institutions. CDTx team members participate as EPIC-AT Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) and present at annual AGE-WELL conferences.
• MemotextcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Partnership with Memotext, a Toronto-based digital patient engagement platform, for the development and administration of the KiT (Keeping in Touch) chatbot — a bilingual text-message-based tool supporting young adults with Type 1 Diabetes through the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care.
• Best CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Best Care and Novartis Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize the Breathe digital respiratory ecosystem for asthma and COPD management. Dr. Christopher Licskai, Respirologist and CEO of Best Care, is a key collaborator.
• Novartis Pharmaceuticals CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Best Care and Novartis Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize the Breathe digital respiratory ecosystem for asthma and COPD management, including the Breezhaler assistant and other integrations.
• Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Rob Hamilton at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre to operationalize the Watchman program as a standard of care for testicular cancer patients, building upon the success of the Watchman pilot RCT.
• SickKids HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SickKids hospital as a key collaborator in the KiT project for Type 1 Diabetes transition care, along with a multidisciplinary team of investigators across Ontario and Quebec (6 healthcare sites).
• University Health Network (UHN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUHN is the parent institution hosting the Centre for Digital Therapeutics. The Centre is an R&D group within UHN focused on building novel digital therapeutics for chronic disease management. Products are deployed as standard of care within UHN clinical programs.
• Barrie Area Native Advisory Council (BANAC) and Mamaway WiidokdaadwinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with BANAC and Mamaway Wiidokdaadwin for culturally appropriate digital health adaptations in Indigenous communities, specifically integrating local and cultural adaptations into the service design of a diabetes remote self-management program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Akili Interactive: Akili Interactive develops FDA-cleared prescription digital therapeutics for cognitive and mental health conditions, pioneering the DTx commercial and regulatory model. Comparable to CDTx in pursuing FDA-cleared SaMD products with clinical evidence packages.
• Welldoc: Welldoc develops FDA-cleared digital health solutions for diabetes and cardiometabolic conditions, with multiple condition-specific products. Highly comparable to CDTx's Medly (heart failure) and bant (diabetes) products, sharing the SaMD regulatory pathway and chronic disease focus.
• DarioHealth: DarioHealth offers a multi-condition digital therapeutics platform spanning diabetes, hypertension, musculoskeletal, and mental health. Comparable to CDTx in pursuing a multi-condition chronic disease portfolio, though with a consumer-first B2B2C commercial model.
• Propeller Health (ResMed): Propeller Health (acquired by ResMed) provides digital therapeutics for asthma and COPD with smart inhaler sensors and adherence tracking. Direct competitor to CDTx's Breathe platform, with similar Bluetooth spirometer and smart inhaler cap integrations and pharma partnership model.
• Omada Health: Omada Health is a leading digital therapeutics company focused on chronic disease management (diabetes, hypertension, mental health) with employer and payer channels. Comparable to CDTx in delivering evidence-based digital interventions for chronic conditions, with substantially more commercial scale and venture funding.
• Biofourmis: Biofourmis builds AI-powered digital therapeutics and remote patient monitoring for chronic conditions including heart failure and respiratory. Comparable to CDTx in using ML-enhanced algorithms and patient-reported data for early decompensation detection, with broader commercial footprint.
• Hinge Health: Hinge Health is a leading digital musculoskeletal and chronic pain platform combining sensor technology, exercise therapy, and coaching. Comparable to CDTx's iCanCope with Pain product in the chronic pain digital therapeutics category, with significantly larger commercial scale.
• Voluntis: Voluntis (now part of AptarGroup/Sublimed) develops digital therapeutics for chronic conditions including oncology, diabetes, and respiratory, with pharma co-development partnerships. Comparable to CDTx's pharma-led commercialization model and multi-condition portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Mayo Clinic Platform / Mayo Digital Health: Mayo Clinic Platform and Mayo Digital Health develop and deploy digital health solutions from within a major academic health system, similar to CDTx's embedded model within UHN. Comparable as a hospital-affiliated digital health R&D center with clinical validation capabilities.

Others

• Memotext: Memotext is a Toronto-based digital patient engagement platform that developed and administers the KiT chatbot for CDTx. Relevant ecosystem partner illustrating the broader Canadian digital patient engagement landscape that CDTx operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-digital-therapeutics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Digital Therapeutics