Irvine, Calif.—Niraxx Light Therapeutics, a leader in wearable neurotechnology, today announced recent study findings supporting the company’s personalized PBM (photobiomodulation) light therapy technology platform.

“This is a breakthrough validation on our hypothesis of personalization of PBM,” said Chief Executive and co-founder Joshua Chen, referencing to a joint study between Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and NYU Langone Health.

PBM is a form of light-based therapy that applies non-invasive light to neural tissue.

The single-blind, dose-ranging, sham-controlled study looked at dose dependent effects of PBM on adult subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD). Eligible subjects were randomized to receive three experimental doses. Study findings suggested that specific parameters of PBM affect brain hemodynamics and that personalized dose of light helped optimize treatment.

“The joint study has confirmed that personalized PBM dosing is key to MDD treatment,” said lead investigator Dr. Paolo Cassano, MD, PhD. He is Niraxx co-founder and Chair of Scientific Advisory Board, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical, Director of Photobiomodulation at MGH, and a practicing physician. He has over 10 years of experience using PBM to treat patients with depression.

Dr. Cassano stressed the huge unmet need in treating depression, noting that current treatments like medications and psychotherapy are not sufficient due to barriers like side effects and time and cost commitment. “As a community, we need to start offering depression treatments that go beyond the one-size-fits-all approach,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further negatively increased the prevalence MDD and anxiety. About 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of MDD and anxiety, up from one in 10 adults who reported these symptoms in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As the pandemic wears on, accessible brain health care becomes even more necessary.

MDD affects more than 16.1 million American adults, or about 6.7% of the U.S. population age 18 and older, according to Anxiety & Depression Association of America. The World Health Organization estimated the common mental health disorder affect more than 264 million people worldwide.

About Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is a teaching hospital for Harvard University. MGH’s department of psychiatry has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for 16 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. MGH is also home to the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, the largest academic research center in the world dedicated to studying the clinical application of light. Niraxx licenses its PBM technology from MGH.

About NYU Langone Health

NYU Langone Health is an academic hospital affiliated with New York University. NYU Langone Health is ranked No. 8 in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Its department of psychiatry is ranked as No. 10.

About Niraxx Light Therapeutics

Niraxx is a NeuroTech company that aims to democratize access to safe, effective brain health care by delivering truly wearable digital health experience integrating AI-empowered, personalized PBM light therapy in clothing. For more information, visit https://niraxx.com