STAT+: Otsuka starts selling depression digital therapeutic, expects to lose money on it
Otsuka Pharmaceutical has started selling Rejoyn, its Food and Drug Administration cleared prescription app that treats the symptoms of major depressive disorder. And it’s hitting the market at a low price that Otsuka hopes will entice many people to give it a try.
Otsuka will make the 6-week treatment available to patients through a prescription from their existing provider or through the treatment’s website where they can connect with a clinician from Wheel Health who can prescribe it. Rejoyn will cost an introductory price of $50 out-of-pocket plus the cost of the optional Wheel consultation. Though no insurers have agreed to cover Rejoyn yet, Otsuka says it will charge them $200.
For context, before it went bankrupt, Pear Therapeutics had charged upwards of $1,000 for its prescription cognitive behavioral therapy apps.
