Akili Founders Recognized by Newsweek on Inaugural List of America’s 50 Greatest Disruptors
Eddie Martucci, Adam Gazzaley and Matt Omernick are featured alongside visionaries, innovators and pioneers who are transforming the world through technology
BOSTON, Mass. September 29, 2021 - – Akili Interactive (“Akili”, the “Company”), a leading digital medicine company building cognitive treatments through game-changing technologies, today announced that its co-founders, Eddie Martucci, Ph.D., Adam Gazzaley, M.D., Ph.D., and Matt Omernick, were named to Newsweek’s inaugural list of America’s Greatest Disruptors. The cover story, which takes up the entire December 24 issue of Newsweek, is on newsstands beginning today.
According to Newsweek, the American’s Greatest Disruptors list recognizes “agents of change who are using technology in ways that profoundly impact our lives – mostly or wholly for the better.” The publication notes, “the disruptors on our list are largely driven by a desire to contribute to a greater good, often inspired by personal experience—and, so far at least, their work seems on a path to fulfill that promise.”
“We’re incredibly proud to have our founders included on Newsweek’s inaugural list of America’s 50 Greatest Disruptors,” said Rob Perez, Executive Chair of Akili. “When founding Akili, these leaders set out to challenge the status quo of medicine - to disrupt a centuries old industry and impact patients’ lives by changing how treatments are designed, delivered and experienced. It's an honor for that work to be recognized and, even more, to hopefully inspire others to push the boundaries of people's imaginations to improve lives.”
Newsweek recognized Akili co-founders Martucci, Gazzaley and Omernick for their contributions to creating EndeavorRx®, the world’s first and only prescription video game treatment for kids 8-12 years old diagnosed with ADHD (see full indication below). The treatment, which was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2020, use sensory stimuli and simultaneous motor challenges designed to target neural systems that play a key role in attention function. Patients will find gameplay adapts in real-time, automatically adjusting difficulty levels based on their progress. Akili is also advancing clinical research of a number of other digital treatments designed to address impairments in cognitive functioning associated with multiple chronic conditions and acute cognitive dysfunction, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and major depressive disorder (MDD).
EndeavorRx® Indication and Overview
EndeavorRx is the first-and-only FDA-cleared treatment delivered through a video game experience. EndeavorRx is indicated to improve attention function as measured by computer-based testing in children ages 8-12 years old with primarily inattentive or combined-type ADHD, who have a demonstrated attention issue. Patients who engage with EndeavorRx demonstrate improvements in a digitally assessed measure Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA®) of sustained and selective attention and may not display benefits in typical behavioral symptoms, such as hyperactivity. EndeavorRx should be considered for use as part of a therapeutic program that may include clinician-directed therapy, medication, and/or educational programs, which further address symptoms of the disorder. EndeavorRx is available by prescription only. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone therapeutic and is not a substitution for a child’s medication. The most common side effect observed in children in EndeavorRx’s clinical trial was a feeling of frustration, as the game can be quite challenging at times. No serious adverse events were associated with its use. EndeavorRx is recommended to be used for approximately 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week, over initially at least 4 consecutive weeks, or as recommended by your child’s health care provider. To learn more about EndeavorRx, please visit EndeavorRx.com.
About Akili
Akili is pioneering the development of game-changing technologies to usher in a new era of cognitive medicine. Focused on delivering cutting-edge digital diagnostics, treatments and monitors for cognitive impairments across disease and disorders, Akili is combining scientific and clinical rigor with the ingenuity of the tech and entertainment industries and challenging the status quo of medicine. Akili’s treatments are designed to directly activate the networks in the brain responsible for cognitive function and have been rigorously tested in extensive clinical studies, including prospective randomized, controlled trials. Driven by Akili’s belief that effective medicine can also be fun and engaging, Akili’s products are delivered through captivating action video game experiences. For more information, please visit www.akiliinteractive.com.
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