Digital therapeutics developer Click Therapeutics is bolstering its prospects in cardiometabolic disorders through the acquisition of the assets of Better Therapeutics. This transaction includes an FDA-authorized product and could serve as a launchpad for an array of drug and digital treatment pairings. The deal follows Better Therapeutics’ struggles with commercialization and capital reserves, culminating in their decision to lay off all employees and explore strategic alternatives earlier this year. More information on the acquisition here.
Better Therapeutics’ AspyreRx is a prescription digital therapeutic application that utilizes artificial intelligence to help patients with type 2 diabetes modify behaviors and potentially alter the course of the disease. However, Better encountered obstacles in commercializing AspyreRx independently. Payer coverage decisions were still pending as the company’s capital reserves dwindled. Details here.
New York-based Click has made strides in digital therapeutics, developing a hybrid business model that involves self-commercializing some products while partnering with major pharmaceutical companies on others. Click’s addition of Better Therapeutics’ assets aims to enhance Click’s pipeline which includes a migraine digital therapeutic in late stage clinical development and an obesity digital therapeutic.
The FDA recently cleared Click’s Rejoyn, a digital therapeutic for major depressive disorder developed in partnership with Otsuka Pharmaceutical. Furthermore, a collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim has led to a late-stage clinical development project for schizophrenia, and another partnership with Indivior focuses on a digital treatment for substance use disorder. More on Click’s regulatory wins.
Click’s strategic acquisition from Better includes not only AspyreRx but also digital programs aimed at treating other cardiometabolic conditions. These assets include BT-004 for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), BT-002 for hypertension, and BT-003 for hyperlipidemia, although these had been shelved prior to the acquisition as Better focused its limited resources on AspyreRx.
No financial terms of the acquisition were disclosed. Click Therapeutics plans to integrate Better’s assets with its proprietary technology to enhance treatment efficacy, particularly for obesity in combination with metabolic disorder medications like GLP-1 agonist drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound. This integration will also expand developmental opportunities for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and MASH.
“We expect the resulting best-of-both program will earn the long-term loyalty of patients, enabling superior outcomes and the generation of valuable real-world data insights for providers and payers,” said Click Chief Technology Officer Han Chiu.
Click here for the original report.