News

This has been a good month for the neurotech industry and investors in neurotech startups. The good news started with a unanimous vote of the FDA Neurological Devices Panel to recommend the NeuroPace RNS system for approval. Some industry observers see this as a sign that things are changing at the FDA, particularly given the fact that NeuroPace’s trial data, while very good, is not much different…

From the February 2013 issue of Neurotech Business Report. © 2013 Neurotech Reports. Plexon, Inc., the Dallas, TX manufacturer of neural signal processing hardware and software, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary as a supplier in the neuroscience research and neurotechnology markets. Plexon is a pioneer in producing high-performance solutions for data acquisition, behavioral research, and advanced analysis specifically designed for neuroscience research.

Mapping Our Mission Among all the topics President Obama addressed in his State of the Union address earlier this month, perhaps the most intriguing was his call to invest in brain research. In a moment reminiscent of John Kennedy’s call for the nation to land a man on the moon, Obama said the government should invest in the best ideas in brain science. Invoking the example of the Human Genome Project, which returned $140 to the U.S.

Curing Our Addiction One of the most promising market opportunities for the neuro­technology industry lies with addiction-related disorders. In recent years, researchers and clinicians have made progress on two fronts: identifying the neural basis for addiction, and introducing potential neuromodulation therapies to treat addiction. And as we discussed in this space recently, neuromodulation therapies to treat chronic pain can help circumvent the rampant opioid addiction problem thrust upon us .

Learning From Our Mistakes As 2012 comes to a close, it’s worth noting that there were many positive developments during the year. Among the most noteworthy were the emergence of the retinal prosthesis market in Europe and a favorable FDA panel vote for Second Sight’s Argus II implant. The maturation of the hypoglossal nerve stimulation market and the emergence of neurotech products for Alzheimer’s disease are also good signs.

The Dangers of Pain Pain is a serious subject to the millions of people in the U.S. and worldwide who are incapacitated . It is also a big business and the choice of treatment is one that has enormous consequences not just for sufferers and their clinicians, but for entire industry segments dedicated to treating pain. For researchers and vendors in the neuromodulation industry, advancing our unders…

Industry Pioneers and Newcomers Meet at 2012 Neurotech Leaders Forum Staff report About 80 executives and entrepreneurs from the neurotechnology industry met in San Francisco earlier this month for the 2012 Neurotech Leaders Forum, organized . Platinum sponsor for the two-day event was Cirtec Medical Systems, while Stellar Technologies participated as silver sponsor. Other sponsors included Micro Systems Technologies, Neurotech Network, and the International Neuromodulation Society.

Neurotech Reports Announces Recipients of Gold Electrode Awards Neurotech Reports, the publisher of this newsletter, announced the recipients of the 2012 Gold Electrode Awards. The awards, in five categories, were presented October 22, 2012 at the Neurotech Leaders Forum in San Francisco, CA. The award for Best New Product was presented to ImThera Medical Inc. for its aura6000 hypoglossal nerve stimulation system.

Regulatory Efficacy One of the more hotly discussed topics at the recent Neurotech Leaders Forum was the impact of FDA approval cycles on commercialization of neurotechnology devices and investment in neurotech startups. During a panel session devoted to the investment outlook for neurotechnology, venture capital professionals reiterated that it was very difficult for them to invest in devices that require a premarket approval path through the FDA.

Trials and Tribulations One of the biggest challenges confronting researchers and start-up firms seeking to develop new neurotech therapies is designing, funding, and completing successful clinical trials. Even when adequate funding is available from grants, investors, or corporate partners, clinical trials often present obstacles such as recruiting the appropriate participants and centers, defining the right endpoints and control arms, and submitting trial data for regulatory approval.