Neurotech Startups and Emerging Firms to Present at Leaders Forum October 20-21
Executives from several emerging and established neurotechnology firms will be presenting at the 14th annual Neurotech Leaders Forum, which takes place in San Francisco October 20-21. Promising neurotechnology firms presenting at the conference include Spinal Modulation Inc., Cervel Neurotech, Inc., Evoke Neuroscience, Advanced Brain Monitoring, Inc., Brain Resource Ltd., ClickBrain, and several others.
War on Drugs
Although the neurotech device industry is currently pursuing a range of clinical application areas, up until now, the major revenue source has been the chronic pain market. Industry heavyweights like Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, and Boston Scientific still get the lion’s share of their neuromodulation revenue from sales of spinal cord stimulation systems. One of the largest impediments to growth of…
Neural Engineers Advance Blood-Brain Barrier Approach
While many forms of neuromodulation apply electrical stimulation directly to a target area to achieve a neurological effect, a novel approach uses neurostimulation to produce an indirect effect, specifically, opening the blood-brain barrier in order to augment pharmacological therapies. Recently, two different teams reported research and commercial progress in developing this therapeutic strategy.
Common Cause
The city of San Francisco—and indeed the whole nation—was saddened earlier this month to learn of the death of comedian Robin Williams, who had been suffering from depression. We later learned that Williams was also battling the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. The comorbidity between depression and Parkinson’s disease is no surprise to clinicians and researchers involved with psychiatric and movement disorders.
Stroke Researchers Seek to Revive Neurostim Therapy
Five years after the failed Northstar Neuroscience clinical trial of epidural stimulation for stroke rehabilitation stunned the neuromodulation industry and stymied research in that area, investigators are now pressing ahead with new approaches exploiting cortical plasticity and brain stimulation. Two independent teams in Ohio and New Jersey are leading the way to refine the targets and the therapy…
When it Rains it Pours
It doesn’t seem that long ago that neurotech investigators and entrepreneurs were lamenting the dearth of funding available for developing new therapies and new commercial ventures. Make no mistake, it’s still no walk in the park to get money for startups but the situation has improved dramatically in recent months. As we report on page 1 of this issue, DARPA has kicked in $40 million for research on neurotech approaches to treating memory disorders.
Using Our Cranium
It isn’t often that this publication can report on changes in regulatory policy at the FDA that benefit the neurotechnology industry. But that is indeed what seems to be the case with cranial electrical stimulation. Earlier this month, the federal agency backtracked on its previous decision to classify the surface stimulation systems as class III, rather than class II devices [NBR May13 p2]. The de…
European Teams Make Progress on Neuroprosthetics
While research teams in the U.S. have made considerable progress recently using spinal cord stimulation for neuroprosthetic and neurorehabilitation applications [NBR Apr14 p2], an independent effort at several European institutions is gaining momentum. Recently, investigators from the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany reported progress in fabricating flexible microelectrodes that will be used to restore function in individuals with spinal cord injury.
Evoke Neuroscience Seeks to Expand its Reach in Brain Sensing Market
Evoke Neuroscience, the manufacturer of neurosensing and brain analysis systems with offices in New York City and Jacksonville, NC, has set its sights on expanding its presence in the neurotechnology industry. The company’s portable brain analysis system, which incorporates electrophysiological sensors, software, and processing hardware, has to date been targeted at healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, neurologists, and clinical psychologists.
Electroceuticals Get into the Game
Researchers and entrepreneurs in the neurotechnology industry are used to playing backup to pharmaceutical companies when it comes to funding, regulatory approval, and investment decisions. Implanted stimulation devices are often regarded as a last-resort to be tried only after every possible drug, or combination of drugs, has failed. But the advent of “electroceuticals”—a term that points up the g…