Rune Labs gets FDA nod to track Parkinson's symptoms on Apple Watch

Washington: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to a software, developed by Neurology company Rune Labs, that helps people with Parkinson's disease track their symptoms through Apple Watch.

The StrivePD software ecosystem combines powerful wearable technology and self-reported symptom information with brain imaging, electrophysiology, genetic and other clinical data.

StrivePD on Apple Watch makes it easy for people with Parkinson's to track and log their symptoms, like tremors, enabling patients to have more control over their care.

"Being able to show my neurologist how my motor symptoms were fluctuating, thanks to StrivePD, was the impetus for me to get surgery for a deep brain stimulation device," said Aura Oslapas, who drew from her first-hand experience with Parkinson's to create the StrivePD mobile app, in a statement.

"When people with Parkinson's are prescribed new medications, adjusting how much to take and when to take it until they find something that works can be a lengthy process. StrivePD helps people to track their symptoms and improvements, accelerating the time to an optimal medication schedule - and with today's clearance, more people will have access to this life-changing technology," Oslapas said.

The StrivePD ecosystem draws data directly from Apple's Movement Disorder API, which provides a power-efficient approach to measuring and recording tremors and dyskinetic symptoms common in patients with Parkinson's disease.

With the FDA clearance, the Rune Labs' StrivePD app will enable precision clinical care and trial participation for tens of thousands of Parkinson's patients who already use these devices in their daily lives, the company said.

Rune Labs values users' personal information and privacy and takes appropriate steps to protect against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, or destruction. Users' personal information and privacy is protected and governed by Rune Labs' Information Security Management System.

"With all of the data we will collect and the patients we will reach through this clearance, we will make sure the right participants enrol in trials, and help our pharma and medtech partners run more efficient trials with higher quality outcomes data, thereby enabling more therapies to come to market quickly to help those suffering from Parkinson's," said Brian Pepin, CEO and Founder of Rune Labs.