Akili licenses tech from UCSF combining physical activity with therapeutic video games

Prescription digital medicine company Akili Interactive is teaming up with the University of California system to license new software that aims to combine physical activity with programs targeting neural systems in order to improve patients’ cognitive function.

The technology is currently being studied in clinical trials and may hold potential as a treatment for a wide range of brain-related medical conditions, the former Fierce 15 winner said in its announcement.

Developed at the Neuroscape research center at the University of California, San Francisco, the software is delivered through a motion-capture video game system, and is designed to challenge a patient’s attention, working memory and cognitive flexibility while combining mental tasks with physical movement.

"The cognitive benefits of physical activity have been understood for many years,” said Adam Gazzaley, founder and executive director of the Neuroscape lab, and co-founder and chief scientific advisor at Akili. “The ability to generate those benefits through technology that directly engages brain networks associated with cognitive control is extremely exciting.”

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The exclusive licensing agreement is part of Akili’s push to build out its pipeline of digital therapeutics for cognitive dysfunction, such as in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sensory processing disorder, as well as a digital biomarker for degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

This deal was negotiated with UCSF’s Office of Technology Management within Innovation Ventures, which leads the university’s business development efforts. Financial terms were not disclosed, though Akili has previously in-licensed technology from Gazzaley’s lab.

“We’re only just beginning to scratch the surface of the full potential of digital therapeutics, and we are continuously looking for the next great innovation that bridges technology and medicine in ways we can’t even imagine today,” said Jason Trees, R&D program lead at Akili.

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The Boston-based company said it is currently evaluating several new technologies across different diseases where cognitive function is affected, as well as in psychological and neurological disorders.

Akili’s lead program, AKL-T01, is currently under FDA review as a prescription treatment for ADHD.