DeepWell Digital Therapeutics (DTx) has secured FDA 510(k) clearance for its innovative software development kit (SDK), a move poised to transform interactive media like video games into therapeutic tools for stress reduction and adjunctive treatment of high blood pressure. This clearance marks a significant step in leveraging digital platforms for mental and physical health interventions.
Biofeedback SDK: A Novel Approach
DeepWell's SDK employs biostimulation techniques within interactive media to enhance coping mechanisms and resilience. The technology activates the user's vagus nerve, which reduces sympathetic nervous system activation and promotes dopamine release. This approach aims to improve resilience and reduce both stress and hypertension through increased patient engagement.
Ryan Douglas, co-founder and Chair of DeepWell DTx, highlighted the SDK's potential for broad application across various media platforms. "We cleared something that you can use to either put into a piece of media or adjacent to that media...through any mobile platform and through any commercial means," Douglas stated, emphasizing the expansive reach of the cleared technology.
Integration and Applications
The core technology behind the SDK was initially utilized in DeepWell's mental health action shooter game, Zengence. The FDA clearance, however, extends beyond a single game, allowing the SDK to be integrated into or used alongside various media formats without affecting the core biofeedback mechanism's safety or efficacy.
DeepWell is already collaborating with media and medical device companies to explore further applications. According to Douglas, only a fraction of the numerous digital wellness apps available have obtained FDA clearance as digital therapeutics, underscoring the significance of DeepWell's achievement.
Clinical and Neurological Impact
Dr. Samuel Browd, co-founder and pediatric neurosurgeon, emphasized the neurological advancement represented by DeepWell's technology. "This is a significant neurological advancement with the potential to take medicine to the next level," Browd noted, highlighting the potential for interactive media to become a source of therapeutic solutions.
The company is also exploring the potential of its technology for future indications, including pain management, PTSD treatment, sleep disorders, immune disorders, and neurological diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.
Reimbursement and Market Access
DeepWell's clearance aligns with proposed Digital Mental Health Treatment (DMHT) device codes by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), potentially enabling reimbursement for digital therapeutics starting in 2025. This reimbursement pathway could significantly enhance the accessibility and adoption of DeepWell's technology.
Andy Molnar, CEO of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA), emphasized the importance of this clearance in bringing mental and physical health support to a wider population. The DTA has been instrumental in advocating for reimbursement pathways for digital therapeutics.
Future Directions
DeepWell is currently focused on developing new engagement mechanics and therapeutic concepts. The company is also prototyping and assessing the viability of its technology with major media and medical device companies, with plans to announce initial collaborations soon.
Jeffrey Tseng, CEO of DeepWell DTx, noted the increased interest from partners and investors following the FDA clearance. Innovators in digital therapeutics, media, and medicine have endorsed the technology, including Russell Lonser, chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University, who anticipates that DeepWell's approach will change how therapeutics are designed for neurological conditions.
