Cambridge Cognition sees success in Cognition Kit pilot study

Digital neuroscience company Cambridge Cognition Holdings has released positive results from a pilot study to evaluate cognition and mood using wearable technology, in patients with major depressive disorder, at the 2017 International CNS Summit in Boca Raton, Florida.

The AIM-traded firm said the study was sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and used ‘Cognition Kit’ technology, which was developed in a joint venture between Cambridge Cognition and Ctrl Group to measure mood and cognition in real world settings.

Collecting data in normal, day-to-day circumstances was a growing trend in the healthcare industry, the Cambridge Cognition board explained in its update on Tuesday.

Pharmaceutical companies now aimed to demonstrate evidence of successful real-world outcomes, to differentiate their products in a competitive market while also satisfying the demands of payers and patients.

Cambridge Cognition said real-world evidence could help improve health outcomes for patients, reduce medical costs and demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of a treatment.

However, conducting studies outside of a clinical setting and gaining compliance from patients when unsupervised had been challenging to date, it added.

In the reported study, 30 participants aged between 18 and 65 with a clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate depression, who had been prescribed antidepressants, took part over a six-week period, being assessed daily at regular intervals using Apple Watch devices.

The researchers found that patients were “highly compliant” with the wearable Cognition Kit technology on a daily basis to evaluate their mood, at 95% compliance. and cognitive health at 96% compliance.

Cambridge Cognition said the data collected with Cognition Kit showed how wearable technology could be used to collect real-world evidence reliably - even in challenging patient groups - and how it could also aid communication between patients and clinicians, ensuring symptoms were detected early.

“We are delighted by the study results,” said Cambridge Cognition’s director of research and innovation, Dr Francesca Cormack.

“These findings demonstrate that high frequency, near-patient testing using Cognition Kit software on wearable devices is accurate and well-tolerated by patients with excellent levels of compliance.

“This is of huge significance, demonstrating a feasible technology platform for enabling the pharmaceutical industry to collect real world evidence.”

Nicole Mowad-Nassar, vice-president of external partnerships, at Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, added that the initiative was an “excellent example” of the work being done at Takeda to build a body of evidence for new ways of measuring outcomes in mental health.

“Technology like Cognition Kit allows us to create real time objective measurements for assessing effects in depression that could transform patient care by increasing our ability to estimate clinical conditions and support earlier engagement between the patient and clinician,” Mowad-Nassar explained.

“We are encouraged by the study results and look forward to learning more about the intersection of technology and healthcare.”