Otsuka has partnered with Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley (Oxford HIN), an innovation arm of the NHS, to explore deploying a digital therapeutic (DTx) for major depressive disorder (MDD) within the health service. The collaboration focuses on CARE for MDD, an app-based DTx co-developed by Otsuka and Click Therapeutics. This app combines cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with the Emotional Faces Memory Task (EFMT) and personalized text-based notifications to tackle brain activity imbalances linked to MDD.
The CARE for MDD app, tailored specifically for piloting in England, will undergo a pilot study at four primary care sites: Chineham Medical Practice, Camrose, Gillies & Hackwood Partnership, Haxby Group, and St Bartholomew & Hollow Way Medical Practice. The study aims to gather feedback from patients and healthcare practitioners to inform future adoption plans within the NHS.
James Rose, director of strategic and industry partnerships at Oxford HIN, emphasized the significance of addressing depression within the NHS, noting that this collaboration with Otsuka could pioneer new treatments and improve care for those living with depressive disorders. This initiative builds on the successful $300 million alliance between Otsuka and Click Therapeutics, which began in 2019.
The US clinical trial of the DTx met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a significant improvement in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score over six weeks compared to a sham control app. This success highlights the potential of the DTx to transform MDD treatment within the NHS.
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