Hideki Tanemura, President and CEO of Logos Science Corp.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is often discussed within the context of sex. In fact, it could be related to a variety of underlying diseases and risks of the whole body, such as diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease. We spoke with Hideki Tanemura, the President and CEO of Logos Science Corp., a startup developing a new-generation medical app to treat psychogenic ED. Mr. Tanemura, who also won the 2011 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry, shared the story of his company and development of its innovative technologies.
―What exactly is your new-generation medical app that is capable of treating psychogenic ED?
Our app called “Dr. App ED” replicates clinical environment and provides optimized psychological therapy tailored to each person. It incorporates our patented (*1) new-generation mental healthcare system using cognitive behavioral therapy. We have just developed a beta version and have been verifying its effectiveness, of which the results has been published in a paper. We are now adding elements of gamification to it and changing its design to make the app more user-friendly so that users can easily and comfortably continue treatment.
―Can you explain more about your patented new-generation mental health care system using cognitive behavioral therapy?
We have been aware that self-care for depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental illnesses is difficult. In addition, the number of specialized healthcare providers is insufficient in Japan. Patients often wait several months for their first visit to a mental clinic. Of the 350,000 doctors in Japan, only a few hundred specialize in psychosomatic medicine. In addition to pharmacotherapy, psychiatrists offer cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of psychotherapy that focuses on how individuals perceive and respond to reality, as treatment varies for each person. So, we developed a new-generation mental health care system called Dr. App® that can provide personalized psychotherapy programs on an app.
―It is said that an increasing number of people take a sick leave due to mental illness.
There is a growing concern about reduced productivity and economic losses caused by worker presenteeism (working while sick). We developed the system because we wanted to support these workers and those suffering from premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Through our research on nearly 50 existing apps in Japan that aimed to provide psychological support for depression, we found that few of them provided evidence-based and high-quality services that users would expect.
―So, your company stepped in there and developed an app that works to address this gap.
We are currently developing Wemental®, a mental health self-care app for workers that offers activities tailored to different user types. In light of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s survey in 2021, which showed that more than 50% of workers feel severe stress in the workplace, we conducted a clinical trial of the app at the end of last year. The trial found that users of our app showed improvements in fatigue, anxiety, depression, somatic complaints, and irritability improved within a month. It was highly praised by the doctors involved in our research, and we are in the process of developing a paper on the subject. In addition, we have obtained patents (*2) for an intervention system tailored to women’s PMS symptoms that could promote behavior change, and we are moving toward commercialization of this system under the product name of “WoMentalTM.”
―Taking advantage of the know-how from the past experience, your company has developed Dr. App ED. Could you tell us what brought your focus to ED?
In fact, ED is not just a sexual problem but is said to be related to systemic health problems such as cerebral infarction, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and sleep apnea syndrome. In 2023, the Japanese Society for Sexual Medicine conducted its first nationwide survey in 25 years and found that there were 14 million ED patients in Japan, an increase of 3 million from the previous survey in 1998. Particularly notable rates of increase were observed among men in their 20s and 30s. Psychogenic ED is more common among men in these age groups, but there are very few urologists in Japan who can provide psychotherapy, which is considered important in the treatment of this dysfunction.
―Indeed, because ED is often discussed within the context of sex, many suffer in silence.
We are planning a virtual clinic in the metaverse that allows people to more openly consult and share information on this disease, which is otherwise often difficult to talk about with others. The clinic, “MALTECH CITY,” will be the world’s first ED-specialized clinic that can treat all types of ED, regardless of organic, psychogenic, or mixed causes. It will prioritize anonymity and allow users to use their avatars to move around in the virtual space, communicating with other avatars and receiving medical treatment while at home or at work. In fact, Japan Maletech Association is to be established on International Men’s Day in November,2024 to contribute to the holistic health of men, and we are discussing MALTECH CITY with foreign correspondents of the association.
―As for women, the word “femtech” is being recognized as a term for women’s health technologies. Does maletech refer to a male version of that?
That’s right. Recently, there was a news report about an initiative of a major company that encourages its male managers and employees to better understand the mechanism of women’s bodies and their health issues by simulating menstrual experiences. We thought it would be good if there was a similar initiative focusing on health issues of men and turned our attention to the field of maletech, which had not seen much progress until then.
―If ED is related to broader health issues of the whole body, then maletech could help reduce medical costs by preventing lifestyle-related diseases and other health problems. By the way, we noticed that you were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2011, a prize that aims to honor achievements that “first make people laugh and then make them think.”
At that time, I was researching smells and working on the digitalization of smells, exploring, for example, the possibility of transmitting smells through TVs. I wanted to develop something that could save lives by using smells to help people with hearing impairments notice fire alarms. After experimenting with various smells, I finally got to the wasabi fire alarm system. The smell of wasabi stimulates the sense of pain rather than that of smell, so even people in deep sleep can wake up when they feel the “pain”.
―Your current project of Dr. App ED and the underlying system will also contribute directly to people’s health. What are your future plans?
It is difficult to decide whether to develop Dr. App ED in the field of medical devices or healthcare. Also, more importantly, many people haven’t been familiar with the field of maletech. We need to raise awareness that ED is not just a sexual problem but also a broader health concern, so we are exploring ideas such as creating a maletech cafe where people can comfortably talk about ED. We are currently collaborating and exchanging ideas with the Japan Femtech Association to provide knowledge about maletech not only to men but also to women.
*1. Patent No. 7038388
*2. Patent Nos. 7473261, 7138839, 7181540, and 7182765
| Company name: Logos Science Corp. |
| Founded: February 2022 |
| Number of employees: 1 (as of August 1, 2024) |
| Main business areas: Development of a mental health platform, development of a therapeutic app using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), application development for companies and individuals using cognitive behavioral therapy, development of mental health method programs for healthcare professionals, development and sales of medical devices, and contract research and development. URL：https://logossjp.com |
This article is part of a series of articles introducing venture companies working together as ICF members to resolve societal issues.