Akili raises extra $13M ahead of FDA decision on prescription videogame for ADHD

Akili Interactive has gathered an additional $13 million to fund its prescription videogame treatments, bringing its series C total up to $68 million. Meanwhile, it is awaiting an FDA clearance decision on its recently filed digital therapeutic for pediatric ADHD.

Launched in May, the initial round was led by Temasek and included Amgen Ventures and M Ventures, the VC fund of Merck KGaA, as well as Baillie Gifford, JAZZ Venture Partners, Canepa Advanced Healthcare Fund and Brooklands Capital Strategies.

The Boston-based company’s latest investors were CLSA, Omidyar Technology Ventures, Fearless Ventures and Digital Garage Group, which includes DG Incubation and DG Daiwa Ventures.

"Both Akili and the broader field of digital medicine have been advancing at a significant pace," Akili CEO Eddie Martucci, Ph.D., said in a statement. If cleared by the agency, the company’s lead product, AKL-T01, would be the first prescription videogame and the first digital medicine for children with ADHD.

"This additional backing from investors will help us significantly drive forward the development and deployment of our technology platform toward our goal of having a major impact in millions of patients and toward fulfilling the immense promise of digital medicine," Martucci said.

In clinical trial results posted last December, Akili’s tablet-based videogame improved attention and control in children ages eight to 12 with ADHD after four weeks, compared to children who played a different game without embedded stimuli designed to engage specific areas of the brain.

Akili is also developing interactive, digital treatments in major depressive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory diseases, and anticipates phase 2 results in MDD by the end of the year.

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