Wibrain 'MindSteam' Introduced in Samsung Seoul Hospital Psychiatry Department

Ybrain, a mental health digital therapeutics platform company, announced on the 17th that its prescription electronic drug for depression, 'Mindsteem,' has been officially introduced at Samsung Medical Center, a tertiary general hospital.

Usage image of Wibrain's home-use electronic medicine for depression 'MindSteam' [Photo by Wibrain]

With the introduction of Mindsteem in the psychiatry department of Samsung Medical Center, it has been installed in a total of eight tertiary general hospitals in Korea. The other hospitals include Chungbuk National University Hospital, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Yeungnam University Hospital, Ajou University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, and Jeonbuk National University Hospital. In addition to these, comprehensive hospitals such as Yongin Severance Hospital, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, Haeundae Bumin Hospital, and Iksan Hospital have adopted Mindsteem, and it has also been introduced at the National Traffic Rehabilitation Hospital at the hospital level. Furthermore, it has been implemented in a total of 88 medical institutions, including eight psychiatric hospitals, one hospital, and 66 clinics.

Mindsteem received marketing authorization from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021 and was selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's new medical technology exemption and non-reimbursement notification in June last year. It is prescribed as an electronic drug for mild to moderate major depressive disorder in psychiatric hospitals in Korea. According to a domestic multi-center home clinical trial conducted in 2020, applying Mindsteem alone for 30 minutes daily over six weeks resulted in a remission rate of 62.8% for depressive symptoms, which is 12.8% higher than the approximately 50% remission rate of conventional antidepressants. To date, it has recorded over 32,000 prescriptions.

As the number of patients treated with Mindsteem increases, Ybrain has newly launched a hydrogel patch to improve patient usability and convenience. This consumable product, attached to the forehead to deliver electrical stimulation, replaces the previously used saline-soaked sponge, enhancing the transmission rate of electrical stimulation to the frontal lobe. It maintains a comfortable user experience with a single product and can be used up to 10 times.

Lee Gi-won, CEO of Ybrain, said, “Mindsteem, which has mainly been introduced and prescribed at the clinic level, is recently being adopted in the psychiatry departments of tertiary general hospitals. With the introduction at Samsung Medical Center’s psychiatry department, more psychiatric hospitals and clinics in Korea will actively adopt Mindsteem, allowing for safe and confident prescriptions in depression treatment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.