Senior teachers have often expressed alarm about the way the drug Ritalin has been prescribed to children with attention deficit disorder. One London-listed company has come up with a surprising alternative to the treatment: a prescription video game.
It might sound wacky, but it appears to work. Akili Interactive is a “computer drugs” company established by the American developer PureTech of Boston.
It is being reviewed by the US Food & Drug Administration — which could pave the way for its launch across the Atlantic.
Targeting ADHD is not the only trick up PureTech’s sleeve. It is a “portfolio company”, identifying promising treatments and spinning them off. One of them, resTORbio, raised $97.8m (£77m) on Nasdaq in January and recently announced positive results from a