Parkinson’s Tracker Earns FDA Approval

The FDA has given the green light to neurology company Rune Labs’ StrivePD software, which assists individuals with Parkinson’s disease in tracking their symptoms though their Apple Watch. Providing metrics on associated behaviors such as tremors, the innovation helps patients report their symptoms as well as medication usage and reactions—and because the data is collected passively, patients aren’t tasked with remembering to log the developments in their condition. Clinicians can then evaluate the progress of their patients and give feedback on changes in symptoms.

Another benefit of the technology is aggregating large-scale data on medication responses and the progression of symptoms for this life-threatening disease. “With all of the data we will collect and the patients we will reach through this clearance, we will make sure the right participants enroll in trials,” said Rune Labs Founder and Chief Executive Officer Brian Pepin. Trial efficiency as well as time-to-market for new drugs will therefore receive a notable boost.

Although the StrivePD app had already been in the hands of patients for about a year, thanks to the FDA clearance clinicians can get more involved. They can now charge for their data reviews and repurpose the findings as material for existing and upcoming clinical trials.