Virtual reality and artificial intelligence technology developer Jolly Good is probably very happy after being beaten by Otsuka Pharmaceutical to develop a mental health treatment program that combines pharmacological and psychotherapeutic techniques.
The duo will develop software, hosted on Jolly Good’s VR goggles and connected tablet devices, and underpinned by Otsuka’s expertise in developing neurological therapies, that takes a social skills training (SST) approach to treating mental illness. . SST is a behavioral therapy in which patients with anxiety, mood, and personality disorders, among other conditions, are taught step-by-step how to navigate specific social interactions.
The combination of SST and a pharmaceutical regimen has been shown in studies to reduce the recurrence of mental disorders, the companies said. Their first co-developed program will target patients with schizophrenia, and they predict that the immersive nature of Jolly Good’s VR will make SST therapy more engaging and effective than standard methods.
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Under the terms of the deal, Otsuka will offer 300 million Japanese yen, or about $2.6 million, in advance payments to Jolly Good. As the virtual reality program ramps up, the Tokyo-based drugmaker will reimburse the technology developer, also based in Tokyo, for development and marketing costs to healthcare facilities, while doling out royalties. based on the sales of the resulting product.
Together, the total potential value of the deal is 5 billion yen, or about 43.6 million US dollars. Japan with the help of Jolly Good.
Ayako Kanie, MD, Ph.D., a psychiatrist who recently United Jolly Good, as a senior medical supervisor with the establishment of its digital therapy division, will serve as content production manager for the company’s virtual reality business, including overseeing the development of the Otsuka-supported SST program.
“There is currently a severe shortage of people who have the social skills training and other attributes necessary to provide ‘psychosocial therapy,'” Kanie said in a statement. “Our VR content development benefits from extensive input from psychiatrists in product design and aims to improve and expand opportunities to deliver psychosocial therapy in accordance with medical theory. Virtual reality allows patients to practice in a near-real environment and will set them up for success in real-life situations.”
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This is not Jolly Good’s first pharmaceutical partnership. In April 2021, it united forces with Japan’s Teijin Pharma to develop digital therapies to treat major depressive disorder. In that case, the duo plan to take a cognitive behavioral therapy approach to the virtual reality program, designed to be offered alongside face-to-face therapy sessions.
In other places, the software developer United with Aichi Medical University Hospital Pain Center last December to begin investigating whether virtual reality could be used to treat complex regional pain syndrome, post-stroke pain and other forms of chronic pain.
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