hentoTouch is developing a wearable, non-invasive device that activates the neural fibers that encode gentle and pleasant social touch on the surface of the skin. The hypothesis is that this kind of neural activation could be beneficial in prevention of relapses in alcohol use disorders (AUD), aka alcoholism.
hentoTouch is now pilot testing this with patients. If this hypothesis turns out to be correct, their future customers would be the 280 million global AUD patients and their employers. At the moment, approximately 90 % of these patients do not receive any treatment.
hentoTouch knows that the neural activation that their device is aimed at doing, has a huge effect on physiological modulation of stress. So, in addition to AUD treatment, the device could be used as a stress management tool for healthy people.
AUD is a massive global health threat. According to WHO it kills 3 million people every year. On top of the health burden, it causes devastating social and economic consequences. In Finland, the annual cost of alcohol misuse to workplaces is at least 500 million euros.
With the current treatments, up to 85 % of the patients who manage to quit drinking will eventually start drinking again. This is where hentoTouch can hopefully help by preventing substance craving and relapses. At the moment, the AUD treatment market is tiny compared to the size of the problem and it definitely has room for new solutions, as there have not been any for decades.
