Heads Up for Accountability
As the nation gears up for the annual Super Bowl game, it’s worth remembering the role that professional and collegiate football plays in brain injuries, concussions, and other neurological disorders. Although league officials have taken steps in recent years to mitigate head-to-head contact between players and to assess possible concussions before returning a player to the field, much still needs to be done.
Neural Engineers Convene in San Diego for IEEE Neural Engineering Conference
Several hundred neural engineers, clinicians, and researchers attended the 2013 6th International IEEE EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, held in San Diego, CA earlier this month. Conference chairs were Bin He from the University of Minnesota and Metin Akay from the University of Houston. In a symposium devoted to brain-machine interfaces, Tim Denison from Medtronic gave a talk on translational research tools for investigating neurological diseases.
Research on DBS Mechanisms Leads to Enhanced Devices
Investigators at several research institutions in the U.S. are advancing research into the mechanisms of action of deep brain stimulation. This research is not only helping to improve DBS therapies for different neurological diseases and disorders. It is also leading to the development of new neurotech devices that could be commercialized in the years ahead. Many recent advances in understanding th…
Depressing Innovation
The news that St. Jude Medical failed a futility analysis of its BROADEN trial of DBS for treatment of depression cast a pall over an otherwise upbeat attendance at the 2013 NANS meeting [see Conference Report, p7]. Once again, the industry is left to pick up the pieces as a promising new technology gets set back years. It’s too early to assess blame for this failure. It’s tempting to wonder if St.
Closing the Approval Gap
The neurotech industry has benefitted greatly from new device approvals in recent weeks. Most significant is FDA approval of Neuropace’s RNS device for epilepsy. After an excruciating wait that tested the endurance of entrepreneurs, investors, and investigators alike, the cortical stimulation system is now approved for treating adults with partial onset seizures who have failed to respond to two or more antiepileptic medications [see article, p3].
Entrepreneurs and Executives Interact at 13th Annual Neurotech Leaders Forum
assistant editor About 80 executives, entrepreneurs, researchers, and financial professionals attended the 2013 Neurotech Leaders Forum, held in San Francisco earlier this month. The first day of the event was devoted to implantable neurotechnology systems. Keynote speaker Danny Sachs offered attendees insight into promoting neurotech innovation. He emphasized connecting concepts from different disciplines and generating many new ideas.
Neurotech Reports Announces Winners of 2013 Gold Electrode Awards
Neurotech Reports, the publisher of the Neurotech Business Report newsletter, announced the winners of the 2013 Gold Electrode Awards, selected in five categories the publication. The awards were presented at the 2013 Neurotech Leaders Forum in San Francisco on October 14. The Gold Electrode Award for Best New Product was presented to Second Sight Medical Products of Valencia, CA for its Argus II retinal prosthesis.
Guarding Our Optimism
A sense of guarded optimism permeated the 13th annual Neurotech Leaders Forum, held in San Francisco earlier this month [see conference report, p7].In a session called “Neurotech Deal Scoreboard,” executives from Medtronic and Spinal Modulation, along with an industry consultant and financial professional, sounded a positive note on recent investment and partnership activity in the neurotech space.
2013 Neurotech Leaders Forum to Feature Promising New Startups
Several startup and early stage neurotechnology companies will be presenting at the 2013 Neurotech Leaders Forum, to be held in San Francisco, CA October 14-15. These include Neuro Recovery Technologies, Inc., a Southern California neurorehabilitation startup cofounded . The company is developing a novel spinal cord stimulation system to promote rehabilitation and locomotion in individuals with spinal cord injury.
Neurorehabilitation Vendors Expand Market Opportunity
The market for neurorehabilitation products continues to expand, with established vendors consolidating their product lines and new technologies entering the arena. One key European manufacturer is Hocoma in Switzerland, which markets the Lokomat robotic neurorehabilitation system. The company recently sold its 500th system to a hospital in Hong Kong. Hocoma revenues reached CHF31 million ($33 million) last year and are growing at a 13-percent rate.