Digital therapeutic improves symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, depression for 6 months

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Data from a real-world study revealed that treatment with prescription digital therapeutic Somryst achieved reductions in symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and depression, per a late-breaking poster at the SLEEP meeting.

Somryst is the only FDA-authorized prescription digital therapeutic for the treatment of chronic insomnia, manufacturer Pear Therapeutics stated in a related press release.

“Chronic insomnia is often associated with depression and anxiety so it’s important to evaluate the impact of insomnia treatment on such psychiatric comorbidities,” Yuri Maricich, MD, MBA, Pear Therapeutics chief medical officer and head of development, said in the release. “We seek to measure not only impact on nighttime sleep but also effect on daytime impairment.”

According to the release, the DREAM study is a remote, virtual, open-label, decentralized trial that included 993 U.S. adult patients, aged 22 to 75 years, with chronic insomnia who had access to a mobile device. Results showed that those treated with Somryst for 9 weeks with recommended cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia had reductions in symptoms of insomnia severity immediately following treatment and 6 months later. Scores for depression and anxiety also decreased significantly, researchers reported.

Interim data analysis in early 2022 revealed that the average Insomnia Severity Index score (scale 0-28) at baseline among those included in the trial was 23.9, which improved to 14.5 at the end of treatment and 16.7 after 6 months. The average score on the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (0-24) at baseline among participants with severe depression was 21.4, which decreased to 12.7 at the end of treatment and sustained a score of 12.3 at 6 months. Lastly, average Generalized Anxiety Disorder scores (0-21) among participants with severe anxiety was 17.6 at baseline and 10.8 at the end of treatment and at 6 months.

“We’re encouraged by the durable response seen in this interim real-world analysis of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia delivered by Somryst and look forward to seeing additional data from the DREAM trial,” Maricich said in the release.