Pear Therapeutics Acquires Two Prescription Digital Therapeutic Assets For Depression Management

By OPEN MINDS Circle

On December 16, 2021, Pear Therapeutics announced that it has acquired two prescription digital therapeutic (PDT) assets that are designed for the treatment of a “spectrum of depression conditions.” One PDT was acquired from Waypoint Health Innovations, LLC. The second is from a researcher named Fredrik Holländare of Örebro University. Pear intends to incorporate both assets into Pear’s depression platform. However, no timeline for this development has been announced.

The asset acquired from Waypoint Health Innovations is a digital therapeutic designed for treatment of depression based on structured and proven cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques. The Waypoint asset delivers CBT through the use of standardized symptom assessments, video, interactive tools, and algorithms that dynamically personalize each individual’s experience. It has been the subject of published, preliminary clinical studies, but has not been submitted to FDA for review.

The Holländare asset involves internet-based CBT (iCBT) for the treatment of residual symptoms of depression and is aimed at preventing relapse. The treatment centers around nine modules, including an introduction to CBT and depression module, two modules on behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, sleep and relaxation, mindfulness, physical activity, reducing anxiety, and defining long-term goals. The Holländare asset has also not been submitted to FDA for review.

Pear Therapeutics develops and markets PDTs for multiple therapeutic areas. Three of its PDTs have been authorized by the FDA for commercial use; they are reSET®, reSET-O® for opioid addiction, and Somryst® for the treatment of chronic insomnia. The PDTs are designed to engage consumers in treatment and provide tracking tools for clinical professionals. Its PDTs are designed to collect real world data for use by prescribing clinical professionals and for population health management by payers and health systems.

The Pear Therapeutics platform will subsequently require clinical evaluation, and may be evaluated in a potential clinical trial to support submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company has not released its plans for seeking approval for the depression platform.

For more information, contact: Meara Murphy, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Pear Therapeutics, 200 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109; Email: meara.murphy@peartherapeutics.com; Website: https://peartherapeutics.com/