Akili Announces ADHD Expert Dr. Scott Kollins to Join as Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Kollins brings decades of experience driving novel approaches to psychopharmacology and ADHD treatment

Akili, Inc., a leading commercial digital medicine company, today announced the appointment of Scott Kollins, Ph.D., as chief medical officer, effective December 1, 2022. Dr. Kollins will report to Akili’s chief operating officer and join the company’s executive team.

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Scott Kollins, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at Akili (Photo: Business Wire)

“Dr. Kollins is one of the nation’s most respected key opinion leaders in ADHD,” said Matt Franklin, president and COO of Akili. “His ADHD expertise combined with his experience in innovative approaches to clinical evidence generation will help guide our growth and our work to advance new treatments for cognitive impairments across indications, starting with EndeavorRx^® in ADHD.”

"We have treated ADHD in the U.S. in virtually the same way for more than 50 years; providers and patients need new options,” said Dr. Kollins. “Akili is in a unique position to challenge the status quo and change the treatment paradigm with unique digital medicine to improve patient care. I have seen firsthand the important role that EndeavorRx can play in the treatment of children with ADHD, and I am thrilled to work alongside the talented team at Akili to help these children and build toward the future of helping tens of millions of patients living with cognitive health issues.”

Dr. Kollins spent more than 20 years on the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine, where he maintains an adjunct faculty appointment. He was also the co-lead for the Digital Health Solutions Initiative at the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). In this role, Dr. Kollins worked with more than a dozen digital health and digital therapeutic companies to develop clinical studies and provide scientific and regulatory guidance. Dr. Kollins was most recently the chief medical officer for Holmusk, the world’s leading real-world evidence company focused on behavioral health.

Dr. Kollins’ research has spanned a number of areas, including human psychopharmacology, ADHD across the lifespan, nicotine and other substance use disorders, and clinical trials. He has published nearly 200 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Over the past 20 years, his research was supported by seven different federal agencies, including the NICHD, NIDA, NIMH, NIEHS, NINDS, FDA, and EPA. Dr. Kollins has been ranked among the Top 100 Psychiatry faculty members in the U.S. with respect to NIH funding and also served as principal investigator on more than 50 industry-funded clinical trials, including Akili’s STARS-ADHD trial published in The Lancet Digital Health. Dr. Kollins is an elected member of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence and a fellow of both the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the American Psychological Association Division 28 (Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse). He has served as a reviewer for a wide range of US-based and international granting agencies. Dr. Kollins is a former associate editor for the Journal of Attention Disorders, is the ADHD section editor for the Journal of Child Psychiatry & Psychology and has reviewed for more than 50 different peer-reviewed journals. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of North Carolina.

Dr. Kollins received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Duke University in 1992 and earned his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University in 1995 and 1997, respectively. He completed his clinical internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he served as chief intern. Following internship, Kollins joined the faculty of the Department of Psychology at Western Michigan University for three years, before joining the Duke faculty in 2000.

EndeavorRx Indication and Overview

EndeavorRx is the first-and-only FDA-authorized treatment delivered through a video game experience. EndeavorRx is indicated to improve attention function as measured by computer-based testing in children ages 8 to 12 years old with primarily inattentive or combined-type ADHD, who have a demonstrated attention issue. Patients who engage with EndeavorRx demonstrate improvements in a digitally assessed measure Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA®) of sustained and selective attention and may not display benefits in typical behavioral symptoms, such as hyperactivity. EndeavorRx should be considered for use as part of a therapeutic program that may include clinician-directed therapy, medication, and/or educational programs, which further address symptoms of the disorder. EndeavorRx is available by prescription only. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone therapeutic and is not a substitution for a child’s medication. The most common side effect observed in children in EndeavorRx’s clinical trials was a feeling of frustration, as the game can be quite challenging at times. No serious adverse events were associated with its use. EndeavorRx is recommended to be used for approximately 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week, over initially at least 4 consecutive weeks, or as recommended by your child’s health care provider. To learn more about EndeavorRx, please visit EndeavorRx.com.

About Akili

Akili is pioneering the development of cognitive treatments through game-changing technologies. Akili’s approach of leveraging technologies designed to directly target the brain establishes a new category of medicine – medicine that is validated through clinical trials like a drug or medical device, but experienced like entertainment. Akili’s platform is powered by proprietary therapeutic engines designed to target cognitive impairment at its source in the brain, informed by decades of research and validated through rigorous clinical programs. Driven by Akili’s belief that effective medicine can also be fun and engaging, Akili’s products are delivered through captivating action video game experiences. For more information, please visit www.akiliinteractive.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to the development and commercialization of EndeavorRx and other digital medicine and other risks identified in our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any subsequent date. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

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"We have treated ADHD in the U.S. in virtually the same way for more than 50 years; providers and patients need new options. Akili is in a unique position to challenge the status quo and change the treatment.” said Dr. Kollins, Akili Chief Medical Officer.