Ybrain said on Wednesday that it was selected by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to conduct two electronic drug-related studies under the 2023 Electronic Drug Technology Development project to expand indications to treat perinatal depression.

Ybrain will conduct one study for “demonstration” and one for “clinical trial”, and will receive approximately 2.4 billion won for three years until 2026. 

The first project will collect real-world data to demonstrate the clinical application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the treatment of depression in perinatal women. 

The study is designed as a home treatment using electronic medication to treat depression in perinatal women, including postpartum depression, which is a blind spot for depression medication. 

The study will be led by Professor Cho Hee-young of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Seoul National University Hospital and will be conducted in collaboration with the departments of obstetrics and gynecology and psychiatry, each at Yongin Severance Hospital and CHA Medical Group. 

Meanwhile, the other study will investigate patients with moderate to severe depression to expand the indications for tDCS-based electroceutical medication such as Ybrain’s electroceutical, MINDD STIM. 

Participating hospitals include the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. 

"This is a great opportunity to further prove the safety and therapeutic effectiveness of MINDD STIM, a prescription electronic medication for patients with mild to moderate major depressive disorder, through clinical trials with pregnant women and patients with moderate to severe depression who are difficult to treat with medication,” said Ybrain CEO Lee Ki-won.