FiveLiters Demonstrates Progress in Stopping the Bleeding
While the 21st century is well underway, it seems almost comical that our greatest methods for controlling bleeding are to apply pressure, apply pads, and elevate the affected area above the heart—if possible. The tourniquet, which dates back at least to Morel’s use in the mid sixteenth century, can be exceptionally effective for limbs, but not a great option for visceral wounds. These tried and so…
California Team Looks to Optogenetics for Treating Epilepsy
November, 2024 issue New neuromodulation therapies for treating epilepsy have emerged in recent years, offering hope to patients who are resistant to drug therapy. Cyberonics’ vagus-nerve stimulation system became the first implanted neuromodulation device to treat epilepsy more than two decades ago. That company’s successor, LivaNova, was later joined by NeuroPace, with its closed-loop epidural stimulation system, and Medtronic, with its DBS system.
2024 in Review
As we look back on the year 2024, the neurotechnology industry has much to be happy about, despite a few setbacks along the way. Without a doubt, the most impactful event of the year was Boston Scientific’s purchase of Axonics for $3.7 billion, a deal that can only breed optimism and entrepreneurial activity in the space. Just looking at this month’s spate of investment activity [see Financial News, p 9], we can’t help wonder if that deal is already exerting an effect.
ReShape Reorganization May Revive Troubled Obesity Device
ReShape Lifesciences Inc., the Irvine, CA manufacturer of neuromodulation systems to treat diabetes and related disorders, is one of several neuromodulation firms that have struggled to commercialize an implantable neuromodulation device to treat obesity. The company, which is now known more for its LapBand obesity device, developed the vBloc system under the name EnteroMedics Inc., which was located in St.
Neurotech Reports Announces Gold Electrode Award Winners
Neurotech Reports, the publisher of this newsletter, announced the winners of the 2024 Gold Electrode Awards during the 2024 Neurotech Leaders Forum, which took place in November in San Francisco. The award for best new product went to Magnus Medical for its SAINT magnetic stimulation system for psychiatric disorders. The award for most promising startup went to BackStop Neural, which is developing a novel pain neuromodulation system for cervical back pain.
Pain Doctors Offer Varied Opinions on PNS Applications
Peripheral nerve stimulation has rapidly gained traction as a promising intervention for treating chronic pain conditions, showing potential to improve patient outcomes with less reliance on pharmacologic treatments. Despite this rise in interest, considerable variability remains in its clinical application. A recent survey of 94 pain physicians, published in the journal Neuromodulation, sought to…
Responding to Bullies
Startup firms in pretty much any industry face a host of challenges they must confront before they can achieve commercial success. One of the most insidious of these challenges is the threat presented do not welcome the potential competition that the startup firm may offer. Of course there’s nothing wrong with established firms using the normal tools of capitalism—their sales force, press releases, established customer relationships—to denigrate upstarts in its space.
Regulation Leads to Transparency in Pricing for PNS Devices
Last year, we reported on the recent CMS Hospital price transparency regulation, which enabled significant advances in pricing transparency for peripheral nerve stimulation therapies all charges on websites of U.S.-based hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. Earlier this year, CMS introduced pricing file templates, posted on GitHub. With these pricing file templates, hospitals can now share pr…
Researchers Uncover Link Between Dopamine and DBS in PD
One of the greatest challenges confronting neural engineers developing new therapies for neurological disorders is understanding the mechanisms underlying normal and dysfunctional activity. This is particularly true when neuromodulation therapies arise to treat disorders where pharmacological approaches have fallen short. Parkinson’s disease represents a prime example of this situation. Neurologist…
Neurotech Entrepreneurs to Present at 24th Annual Neurotech Leaders Forum
Neurotech Reports, the publisher of the Neurotech Business Report newsletter, announced that several emerging neurotechnology firms will present for the first time at the 2024 Neurotech Leaders Forum, which takes place November 6-7 in San Francisco. Among the new presenters are Paxos Medical, a firm that has developed a novel neuomodulation therapy for non-obstructive urinary retention. Jeff Erb, a former Medtronic executive, is CEO of the new firm and will present at the conference.