Rune Labs’ Apple Watch-based Parkinson’s disease tracker gets FDA clearance

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The company behind the tool that helps people with Parkinson's disease track symptoms through their Apple Watch received clearance from the FDA. Patients can report symptoms and usage of medication with it.

The software is called StrivePD. It allows clinicians to keep a record of their patients progress and any changes in symptoms of the neurological disorder. Patients don't have to try and remember the fluctuations. It is a great source of data on how Parkinson's disease patients respond to different drugs.

"With all of the data we will collect and the patients we will reach through this clearance, we will make sure the right participants in trials," BrianPepin said in a statement It will make trials more efficient and bring drugs to the market quicker.

Patients have been using the app for about a year, but the FDA sign-off means clinicians have ways to bill patients when reviewing data from the watch and let the findings be used as clinical trial data on Parkinson's disease treatments.

Independent researchers can use Apple's movement disorder app to pull information on Parkinson's disease symptoms. The movement disorder API is being used by other companies to provide Parkinson's patients with the same information.

Apple does its own research on the Apple Watch and Parkinson's disease, but is not involved in the project. Apple researchers published data showing that the watch could accurately track the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.