MedRhythms Launches Clinical Trial of Digital Therapeutic in Parkinson's Disease and Expands Pipeline to Aging

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Apr 13, 2021, 08:00 ET

PORTLAND, Maine, April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MedRhythms, a digital therapeutics company building direct stimulation solutions that use clinical-grade sensors, software and music to help restore function lost to neurologic disease or injury, today announced the initiation of a multi-site clinical trial, in collaboration with Boston University and one of the world's leading hospitals, of its pipeline asset MR-005 in Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as the expansion of the company's pipeline into aging with the development of its Aging Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). This follows MedRhythms' announcement of the advancement of its pipeline into PD and multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2020 with the initiation of clinical trials and the development of MS and PD SABs.

The multi-site clinical trial studying MR-005, a digital therapeutic for PD walking impairments, will evaluate the clinical efficacy of the asset when deployed remotely in the home setting. The study will be led by Dr. Terry Ellis, Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training at Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Director of Boston University's Center for Neurorehabilitation, and Director of Boston University's Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program, in collaboration with a Co-P.I. and neurologist at the leading hospital.

"This product has enormous potential to help people living with Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Terry Ellis. "People with Parkinson's need more options for interventions to improve walking ability. Music, particularly Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation, is a promising intervention for individuals with Parkinson's disease, as has been shown through decades of evidence in its ability to improve gait and reduce falls in this population. MR-005 provides an opportunity for this intervention to be delivered at scale, and we are excited to be a part of its development."

This study follows MedRhythms' previous clinical trials in chronic stroke and MS. The chronic stroke study is an 8-center randomized controlled trial and the Company's pivotal trial for this asset. The MS trial is a feasibility study at Cleveland Clinic. Each study follows MedRhythms' commitment to building strong clinical evidence for its digital therapeutics.

MedRhythms welcomes Dr. Joe Verghese, Dr. Kirk Erickson and Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone to the Company's inaugural Aging Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Joe Verghese, M.D., M.S. is the Director of The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology Division of Cognitive & Motor Aging and the Director at the Jack and Pearl Resnick Gerontology Center at Albert Einstein School of Medicine. Dr. Kirk Erickson, Ph.D. is a Professor and the Director and Principal Investigator of the Brain Aging & Cognitive Health Lab at the University of Pittsburgh and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition. Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, M.D., Ph.D. is the Medical Director of the Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, a Senior Scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, and a Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.

"I look forward to supporting MedRhythms through the development and rigorous testing of their asset in aging," said Dr. Joe Verghese. "This digital therapeutic has the potential to make a significant impact in the aging population."

Dr. Verghese, Dr. Erickson and Dr. Pascual-Leone are some of the foremost researchers in the intersection of aging and neuroscience, particularly in the connection between walking and fall risk and cognition. "As we expand our pipeline into new populations, we are honored to be collaborating with some of the world's leading minds to accomplish our mission and provide important care where there are high unmet needs," said Brian Harris, the CEO and co-founder of MedRhythms.

About MedRhythms
MedRhythms, a privately held company headquartered in Portland, ME, is a digital therapeutics company that uses sensors, music, and software to build evidence-based, neurologic interventions to measure and improve walking. MedRhythms is dedicated to developing direct stimulation digital therapeutics, meaning that each therapeutic provides, via prescription music, direct stimulation to enable the mechanism of action in each relevant population. The company has an active pipeline of prescription digital therapeutics targeting rehabilitation and prevention in areas of neurologic injury and disease. The MedRhythms team has extensive experience in rehabilitation techniques utilizing music. The company has roots as a therapy services company that launched out of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, which the U.S. News & World Report named the No. 2 ranked rehabilitation hospital in the country. To learn more, visit: www.medrhythms.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
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SOURCE MedRhythms