MedRhythms, a digital therapeutics startup in Portland, has signed a deal with Universal Music Group, the largest music company in the world, that provides it access to UMG’s catalog of music for the purpose of providing prescription music to patients.
The company, which was founded in 2015 by Brian Harris and Owen McCarthy, is developing a patented platform of evidence-based, prescription digital therapeutics using music to address walking impairments. The company recently raised $25 million to further its product development.
MedRhythms‘ product is based on neuroscience research that shows that auditory rhythm can be used to directly target the human motor system to address walking deficits caused by neurologic injuries and diseases, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
With this agreement, announced today, MedRhythms and Universal Music Group become the first companies to develop an FDA-approved, prescription music platform.
“Partnering with UMG is a milestone for MedRhythms that will unlock innumerable doors to improving the quality of care we deliver to patients,” Brian Harris, CEO and co-founder of MedRhythms, said in a statement. “We are humbled and honored to be collaborating with the world leaders in music-based entertainment and matching this with our world-class scientific team to continue to push the envelope in both music and medicine while making a significant impact in the lives of patients who desperately need this care. This partnership will afford us the opportunity to leverage patient-preferred music to provide top clinical outcomes and build a product that patients are excited to use.”
MedRhythms’ deal with Universal Music Group is significant because research has shown patients are more likely to adhere to treatment plans, and therefore clinical outcomes are improved, if the patient likes the music. With Universal Music Group owning rights to songs from such famous artists as The Beatles, Elton John, and Jay-Z, MedRhythms will have plenty of options when using its patented process to select music that will provide value to a patients’ custom treatment plan.
“Music has the power to transcend borders, cultures and languages to connect people and elevate the quality of life around the world. Now, with MedRhythms, we’re seeing the power of music harnessed to heal,” Michael Nash, UMG’s Executive Vice President of Digital Strategy, said in a statement. “We’ve played a central role in promoting music’s growing importance throughout the health and wellness industry—fitness, sleep, meditation—and in this pioneering alliance, we’re privileged to be engaged in extending music’s profound impact to medical therapy.”
Due to positive early results in clinical trials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Breakthrough Device designation to MedRhythms’ flagship product intended for those living with chronic stroke walking deficits. The company’s digital therapeutics product is currently being studied in a multi-site, randomized controlled pivotal trial with chronic stroke survivors at some of the top rehabilitation hospitals in the country.
