News

The patent dispute between Medtronic and Axonics Modulation moved closer to resolution earlier this month as the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office offered decisions on the validity of the Medtronic patents. But the issue of infringement, and financial damages, if any, is still unresolved and awaiting a high-stakes trial that is likely to have a profound impact on the market for sacral nerve stimulation systems.

Nearly 600 pain management specialists from the fields of neurosurgery, orthopedics, rheumatology, neurology, psychiatry, and primary care came together in Las Vegas earlier this month for the Pacific Spine and Pain Society’s second annual meeting. This recently formed society was created to fill a niche in promoting collaboration between interventional pain management and spine physicians. The event, produced , took place at the Aria Hotel, with additional participation from online attendees.

Earlier this month, CMS announced its intention to eliminate the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology program, which was seen as the major benefit of the FDA’s Breakthrough Device program. The decision sent shockwaves through the device industry, which has been on edge since the Biden administration announced it would reconsider the program, which was implemented via executive order in the waning days of the Trump administration.

One of the most promising segments of the neuroprosthetics market is the neural integration of prosthetic limbs. First-generation neuroprosthetics from companies like Ossur and Ottobock relied on EMG signals to control artificial limbs. Recently, two different research teams demonstrated alternative means of integrating neuroprosthetic limbs, one relying on magnetic signaling and the other using peripheral nerve stimulation.

The market for spinal cord stimulation systems for treating chronic back pain has undergone a number of transformations in recent years. In an effort to improve pain relief and expand market access, a cascade of vendors have offered paradigm shifts away from the original SCS therapy, which used tonic stimulation of the dorsal column. These have included high-frequency stimulation, DRG stimulation, burst stimulation, closed loop stimulation, and differential target multiplexed stimulation.

Several hundred pain clinicians attended the 28th Napa Pain Conference in Napa, CA earlier this month. The event, produced , took place at the Culinary Institute of America’s Copia facility, with participation from on-line attendees. Featured presenters at the event included Daniel Carr, professor emeritus of public health at Tufts University, Carol Warfield, Edward Lowenstein professor of anaesthe…

Several hundred pain clinicians, neurosurgeons, and neuromodulation industry professionals assembled in Orlando, FL earlier this month for the 2021 Mid-Year meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society. The event, which augmented the society’s January 2021 web conference, was the first in-person neuromodulation meeting for many attendees since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The mee…

In order for the nation to build a strong neurotechnology industry, there needs to be a coordinated effort among the key players in government, academia, industry, the military, and the investment community, all working together toward a common goal. Such an effort has been underway for the last several years—not in the U.S., but in the U.K. In 2018, the Royal Society assembled a working group of neurotech professionals from academia and industry to help them identify key themes in neural interface technologies.

The market for peripheral nerve stimulation systems has become increasingly crowded in recent months, as new competitors have emerged to treat neurological disorders such as chronic pain and overactive bladder. At the recent mid-year meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society in Orlando, FL [see conference report, p6], executives from six PNS vendors described their product offerings. These included Nalu Medical, SPR Therapeutics, Stimwave, BlueWind Medical, Mainstay Medical, and Neuspera Medical.

Investor interest in funding startup and early-stage vendors of implanted brain devices continued to flourish in recent weeks. Coming on the heels of Peter Thiel’s and re.Mind Capital’s $10 million investment in Blackrock Neurotech [NBR May21 p2], Elon Musk’s Neuralink earlier this month announced a $205 million series C round led , with participation from Google Ventures, DFJ Growth, Valor Equity Partners, Craft Ventures, Founders Fund, and Gigafund.