Akili Interactive Labs got approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a video game to treat ADHD.
The approval from the FDA is a major step forward for the company. It marks the first time that the organization has ever allowed for the marketing of a video game that can improve ADHD in children.
According to an FDA release, the video game therapy is called “EndeavorRx.” It treats children between the ages of eight and 12 years old. The video game offers tasks for patients with ADHD that can help with focusing attention.
Anyone that wants to use Akili Interactive Labs’ EndeavorRx will first have to get a prescription for the game. The approval comes after a study with 600 patients found minimal negative effects. They include “frustration, headache, dizziness, emotional reaction, and aggression.”
Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said this about the Akili Interactive Labs therapy.
“The EndeavorRx device offers a non-drug option for improving symptoms associated with ADHD in children and is an important example of the growing field of digital therapy and digital therapeutics. The FDA is committed to providing regulatory pathways that enable patients timely access to safe and effective innovative digital therapeutics.”
Akili Interactive Labs is a company that focuses on creating digital therapeutic treatments that appear similar to video games. The company was founded in 2011 and has raised a total of $140.9 million in funding.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
