South Korean telecommunications giant KT Corporation and US-based bioelectronics developer NeuroSigma have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic partnership focused on developing and selling electronic therapies treating neurological and neuropsychological disorders, such as ADHD, depression and epilepsy.

WHY IT MATTERS

NeuroSigma developed the first US FDA-approved device-based, non-drug therapy for treating pediatric ADHD. The Monarch eTNS system uses non-invasive external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) to treat neurological and neuropsychiatric indications.

According to a press release, KT will support NeuroSigma in the design and development of future versions of its eTNS products incorporating artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud capabilities. It will open its digital healthcare platform for its partner's advanced monitoring and AI analysis services.

The companies also hope that the collaboration will attract more partnerships for the commercialisation and manufacturing of NeuroSigma's devices in Korea.

KT is also considering a potential strategic investment in NeuroSigma.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Video game-based digital therapeutics is the latest treatment innovation in the field of ADHD treatment and management.

A year ago in June, the US FDA cleared the first digital therapeutic for ADHD. The software treatment called EndeavorRx by Akili Interactive is intended for use as one component of a broader therapeutic program. This year, the full result of Akili Interactive's STARS-ADHD Adjunctive Trial was released, suggesting that digital therapeutics deliver benefits with or without accompanying stimulant medication. Said benefits also persist up to one month following the treatment.

Spanish firm Braingaze has also developed a therapy game app that is played by using eye movements, which were said to help in reducing symptoms of the disorder through brain training.

In 2019, a home-based programme using the brain-training game called Cogoland was piloted in Singapore. The game is based on Brain-Computer Interface technology that personalises attention training and is aimed at complementing existing ADHD treatment.

ON THE RECORD

"We are delighted to inaugurate this partnership with KT.  KT's expertise and capabilities in electronic and digital healthcare are a perfect complement for the Monarch eTNS System, which represents the convergence of medicine and electrical engineering.  We look forward to working with KT to develop the next generations of the product to enhance the design, functionality and user experience and to unlock additional value from the technology by leveraging KT's core competencies and digital healthcare platform," NeuroSigma CEO Leon Ekchian said in a statement.

"In Korea, digital therapy is still in its infancy, but its utility and growth potential are excellent. Starting with our strategic partnership with NeuroSigma, we will actively foster and promote digital therapeutics, including electronic drugs as the basis of new and innovative healthcare businesses and expand the digital therapeutics market in Korea and beyond," Kim Hyung-wook, head of Future Value Promotion Office at KT, also said.