Beyond Medicine Aims to Pioneer Early AI-Based Treatment for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) affects approximately 240 million people worldwide each year. In Korea alone, around 2 million new cases are diagnosed annually, and about 500,000 patients seek hospital treatment. Studies show that TMD often stems from factors such as lack of sleep, stress, and poor lifestyle habits. However, current treatments mainly focus on symptom relief—typically through painkillers—resulting in a relapse rate exceeding 50%.

Beyond Medicine’s CEO, Dae-Hyun Kim, first confronted this problem during his service as a military doctor. “I noticed that many soldiers developed jaw disorders they’d never experienced outside the military,” he recalled. “But military hospitals often had long wait times and limited treatment capacity, making it difficult to provide proper care.” This experience became the catalyst for his entrepreneurial journey. After winning K-Startup Competition, he founded Beyond Medicine in May 2022 and began developing innovative digital healthcare solutions.

The company’s flagship product is Clickless, a software-based medical device for TMD patients. Delivered via a mobile app, Clickless enables patients—once diagnosed and prescribed by a dentist—to follow a six-week digital therapy program consisting of daily 10-minute sessions combining cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), personalized rehabilitation exercises, and mindfulness training.

As a regulated medical device, Clickless is currently undergoing Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) approval procedures. Having completed two clinical trials, Beyond Medicine aims to secure official authorization by the end of this year.

CEO Kim explained, “To truly address the root cause of TMD, patients must correct their behavioral patterns. Our digital therapeutic guides users through personalized interventions to change daily habits and prevent relapse.”

Beyond Medicine is also working to expand TMD care from specialized hospitals to local dental clinics through its digital platform. “We simplified the system so that dentists can easily prescribe the app, allowing patients to begin self-management immediately,” Kim said. “This will make early intervention possible at regional clinics without relying solely on university hospitals.”

The domestic TMD market is estimated at 200 billion KRW (≈150 million USD), while the global market is believed to be over 50 times larger. To capture this growth potential, Beyond Medicine is targeting China, Singapore, and the United States as its initial overseas markets. “Both China and Singapore recognize Korean clinical data, allowing for rapid market entry,” Kim noted. “Meanwhile, we aim to obtain FDA approval in the U.S. by 2027.”

He added, “Once digital therapeutics like Clickless are approved for insurance reimbursement, the market will expand dramatically.” Under Korea’s New Health Technology Assessment (NHTA) deferment policy, emerging medical technologies can operate as non-reimbursed treatments for two years while collecting clinical evidence. After sufficient validation, they can be covered by insurance, reducing patient costs and improving accessibility.

To date, Beyond Medicine has raised 2.1 billion KRW (≈1.6 million USD) in total investment. Key investors include Yoonmin Creative Investment Foundation, TA Advisors, Digital Healthcare Partners, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance InfoBank. “Many medical startups struggle to survive the initial non-reimbursement phase, but our investors helped us endure and push forward,” Kim said.

Kim concluded,“Our ultimate goal is to make early treatment for TMD accessible at any dental clinic. Beyond Medicine will establish Clickless as the global standard for temporomandibular disorder care.”

Exhibitor Data Sheet