Hybrid mental health provider Mindful Care is partnering with NeuroKaire to offer the BrightKaire blood test, an AI-powered precision medicine tool designed to match patients with the most effective antidepressant.
Through the partnership, Mindful Care clinicians can order the test during same-day or next-day virtual or in-person appointments across six states. Patients have their blood drawn at a Quest Diagnostics location or at home through a phlebotomist.
BrightKaire combines pharmacogenetic testing with a laboratory assessment of patient-derived neurons. NeuroKaire converts cells from a blood sample into induced pluripotent stem cells, then into frontal cortical neurons. The neurons are exposed to antidepressants in the lab while imaging and AI analyze markers associated with neuroplasticity.
The test evaluates 18 antidepressants and other medications, combining neuronal findings with genetic and clinical data to produce a report ranking drugs by predicted effectiveness and tolerability. Preliminary pharmacogenetic results arrive within about 15 business days, while the final neuroplasticity score takes approximately 12 weeks.
“Every patient deserves a treatment plan built from their own brain biology,” said Talia Cohen Solal, cofounder and CEO of NeuroKaire. “The science has advanced enough to make this possible, but access has been the roadblock.”
Selecting an effective antidepressant often requires patients to try multiple medications. In the NIMH STAR*D study, only about one-third of participants achieved remission with their initial antidepressant. Dr. Tamir Aldad, CEO of Mindful Care, said adding biological data to prescribing could help clinicians make more informed treatment decisions without disrupting the provider’s rapid access care model.
Patients in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York can ask about BrightKaire during their appointments.
