EndeavorRx: The First FDA-Cleared Video Game That Treats a Disorder

What is EndeavorRx? EndeavorRx is a prescription digital therapeutic designed to improve attention function in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Delivered as an interactive, game-based software experience, it uses neuroscience-informed tasks and adaptive algorithms to target cognitive skills such as sustained attention, multitasking, and working memory. Typically prescribed as a clinician-supervised adjunct to standard care, […]

What is EndeavorRx?

EndeavorRx is a prescription digital therapeutic designed to improve attention function in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Delivered as an interactive, game-based software experience, it uses neuroscience-informed tasks and adaptive algorithms to target cognitive skills such as sustained attention, multitasking, and working memory.

Typically prescribed as a clinician-supervised adjunct to standard care, EndeavorRx supports repeated, dosed therapeutic sessions with built-in progress tracking for clinicians and caregivers. The intervention is intended to complement behavioural therapy and medication when appropriate, offering a non-pharmacologic, engaging option that can be deployed in home or clinic settings for school-aged children as part of a broader treatment plan.

Why Leading Healthcare Teams Trust EndeavorRx

  • Holds CE Mark certification for use in Europe
  • Supported by five clinical studies involving over 600 children with ADHD, demonstrating improvements in attention function measured by computer-based testing
  • No serious adverse events reported across clinical trials, with treatment-related adverse events occurring in fewer than 10% of participants and resolving after treatment ended
  • Demonstrated responder rates of 48-50% after one month of treatment and 68% following two months of treatment for ADHD-related impairments
  • Named to Fast Company's list of World's 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2022
  • Chief Science Advisor Adam Gazzaley received the Global Gaming Citizen honour at The Game Awards for developing the science behind EndeavorRx
  • Raised $230 million in total equity funding from major investors including Pfizer, Shionogi, Temasek, and Amgen Ventures
  • Acquired by Virtual Therapeutics in July 2024
  • Indicated as an adjunct therapy to be used as part of a comprehensive therapeutic program that may include medication and behavioural interventions
  • Watch Overview

Top 3 Pain Points EndeavorRx Fixes in Healthcare

Problem in ADHD CareHow EndeavorRx Solves It
1. Limited non-pharmacologic treatment optionsProvides a prescription digital therapy that strengthens attention through adaptive, neuroscience-based gameplay
2. Low engagement and adherence in pediatric behavioral interventionsUses game mechanics and real-time adaptation to keep children engaged and consistently completing therapy
3. Clinicians lack objective insights into cognitive progressGenerates measurable performance data to inform treatment decisions and track improvements over time
 

Feature Category Summary: EndeavorRx

Feature CategorySummaryAssociation (YES, NO, NA)
Regulatory-ReadyEndeavorRx is explicitly described as an FDA‑authorized (De Novo DEN200026) Class II prescription digital therapeutic (SaMD) for pediatric ADHD, with its own regulation (21 CFR 882.5803, product code QFT), and FDA documentation shows it underwent software review under the agency’s premarket submission guidance, including safety, effectiveness, and software lifecycle controls. Product information and instructions for use also emphasize that it is to be used under clinician supervision within a broader therapeutic program, consistent with regulated medical device expectations and post‑market safety monitoring. YES
Clinical Trial SupportEndeavorRx has been evaluated in multiple clinical trials (600+ children across 5 studies) to demonstrate its own safety and efficacy as a treatment, but available materials describe these as therapeutic trials rather than tools to design or manage other clinical trials. No public documentation was found indicating that EndeavorRx or its companion apps provide features for protocol design, trial feasibility, patient recruitment, investigational product tracking, or external trial reporting.NO
Supply Chain & QualityEndeavorRx is a software‑only prescription digital therapeutic delivered via app stores with activation codes from specialty pharmacies, and documentation focuses on clinical use, safety, and digital distribution rather than physical manufacturing, serialization, or distribution chains. No public documentation was found describing capabilities for pharmaceutical manufacturing integrity, counterfeit‑drug detection, or broader supply‑chain quality assurance.NO
Efficiency & Cost-SavingClinical and marketing materials highlight clinical benefits (improvement in objectively measured attention) and safety, but they do not quantify reductions in clinician documentation time, staffing needs, or direct health‑system cost savings attributable to EndeavorRx. No explicit economic or workflow‑efficiency analyses (e.g., cost-effectiveness, reduced visits, or provider time saved) are presented as core product claims.NA
Scalable / Enterprise-GradeEndeavorRx is available nationally as a prescription-only digital therapeutic in the U.S., accessed via specialty pharmacy and mainstream app stores, indicating technical scalability to large patient populations. However, public documentation does not frame EndeavorRx as an enterprise SaaS platform proven in large pharma/biotech organizations; it is positioned as a regulated therapeutic product rather than an enterprise infrastructure solution.NA
HIPAA CompliantAkili’s privacy notice for EndeavorRx describes collection and processing of health and treatment data, communication with prescribers and pharmacies, and emphasizes use of industry‑standard privacy and security measures to protect “patient’s health data,” aligning with U.S. health‑data protection practices. Third‑party descriptions of EndeavorRx as a medical treatment also note the need to confirm HIPAA or equivalent data privacy compliance, but the official materials do not explicitly use the term “HIPAA‑compliant” in the sections reviewed. NA
Clinically ValidatedEndeavorRx has been evaluated in more than 600 children with ADHD across at least five clinical studies, including the pivotal randomized controlled trial underlying the De Novo authorization, which showed statistically significant improvement in attention (TOVA API) versus a digital control and a favorable safety profile. FDA’s De Novo summary details trial design, endpoints, adverse event rates, and effectiveness, confirming prospective clinical validation for its intended use as a treatment to improve attention function in children with ADHD. YES
EHR IntegrationEndeavorRx is prescribed via a specialty pharmacy workflow with activation codes and used on iOS/Android devices, and available documentation focuses on prescription, enrollment, and app‑based use rather than direct integration with specific EHR systems like Epic or Cerner. An AI‑generated secondary overview mentions EHR integrations (e.g., Cerner, PCC via PhilRx), but this is not primary manufacturer documentation and is labeled as requiring independent verification, so cannot be relied upon as explicit evidence of official EHR integration. NA
Explainable AIEndeavorRx uses the patented Selective Stimulus Management Engine (SSME) to adapt difficulty and speed in real time based on performance and is sometimes described as using real‑time AI to tailor gameplay, but public materials explain the therapeutic mechanism in general cognitive and neuroplastic terms rather than providing model‑level interpretability tools. No public documentation was found describing formal explainable‑AI features such as feature‑importance displays, rationale traces, or transparency dashboards for any underlying algorithms.NA
Real-Time AnalyticsEndeavorRx dynamically adjusts game parameters in real time based on the child’s in‑game performance to continuously challenge specific attentional processes, and this adaptive behavior is presented as central to the therapeutic effect. The EndeavorRx Insight companion app provides parents with daily snapshots of mission completion and in‑game activity, effectively streaming near‑real‑time treatment progress information to caregivers. YES
Bias DetectionFDA and company materials discuss inclusion and exclusion criteria, age ranges, and outcomes for the pivotal trials, but they do not describe systematic tools within the product to measure or document algorithmic performance differences across demographic groups beyond standard subgroup analyses implicit in trials. No public documentation was found describing built‑in bias‑detection modules, fairness metrics, or continuous bias monitoring in the deployed therapeutic.NO
Ethical SafeguardsEndeavorRx is prescribed by licensed clinicians, has clear indications and safety warnings, and is intended as part of a multimodal treatment plan, ensuring that human clinicians remain in control of diagnosis and overall management decisions. Akili’s privacy notice and FAQs describe data‑handling practices, consent for sharing data with clinicians and pharmacies, and communication limits, but there is no mention of configurable AI use‑case restrictions or explicit in‑product ethics governance modules beyond standard medical‑device labeling, prescriber oversight, and privacy/consent processes. YES

Risks & Limitations: EndeavorRx

  • Clinical effectiveness can vary by individual; outcomes depend on adherence to prescribed session schedules and complementary care.

  • Not a universal replacement for medication or behavioural therapy; intended as an adjunct under clinician supervision.

  • Data-driven insights depend on the completeness and quality of in-app performance metrics and caregiver/clinician reporting.

  • Reimbursement and payer coverage remain variable—financial planning and pilot evaluation are recommended before large-scale rollouts.

Share This AI Tool

Get a neutral, no obligation view of whether this AI tool fits your portfolio

Avatar

Stephen

Founder of HealthyData.Science · 20+ years in life sciences compliance & software validation · MSc in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence.