FDA OKs Apple Watch To Help Monitor Symptoms Of Parkinson's Disease

A San Francisco-based software company received permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use Apple Inc. AAPL wearable technology to track Parkinson's symptoms.

Rune Labs' StrivePD software "draws data directly from Apple's Movement Disorder API, which provides a power-efficient approach to measuring and recording tremors and dyskinetic symptoms common in patients with Parkinson's disease," the company explained in a prepared statement.

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The StrivePD app would be the first significant use of Apple's software tools to measure movement disorders since the features were released in 2018, Reuters reported. Last year, Apple published data illustrating how its watch could track motor symptoms of patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The Apple Watch's success as a data-capturing device depends on whether FDA-grade accuracy is ensured across the spectrum of Watch's features, according to Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster.

Apple closed Monday's session 3.83% lower at $131.88, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Separately, Rune Labs has also partnered with Medtronic plc MDT to understand the effects of neurostimulation in order to improve patient care.