News

Advances Improve Outlook for Peripheral Nerve Repair A number of research institutions and commercial firms are pursuing new technology for peripheral nerve repair. The new findings may have an impact on the nerve repair market and lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis. After an injury that severs a peripheral nerve, such as one in a finger, nerve endings continue to grow.

Brain-Computer Interface Industry Comes to Surface The relatively young brain-computer interface industry, which in recent years gained notoriety using penetrating electrodes to interface with cortical neurons, is moving toward electrodes placed on the surface of the brain. Much of the impetus for this change has been the demise of Cyberkinetics, the Foxboro, MA manufacturer that closed its doors earlier this year.

Nine Years of Interaction As the staff of Neurotech Reports gets ready for our Ninth Annual Neurotech Leaders Forum, to be held this year in Newport Beach October 26-27, it gives us a chance to look back on how much has happened in our industry since our first event in 2001. Coming within a few weeks of the attacks of September 11, that event only drew about a dozen attendees. But the energy was hi…

Serving our Subscribers As we wrap up our 96th issue of Neurotech Business Report, representing eight full years of publication, we’ve decided it’s time to take inventory of our products and services for subscribers and make plans for moving forward in the commercial marketplace for neurotechnology. By now, our subscribers are familiar with the monthly print version of our newsletter. But not all subscribers may be aware of the other benefits that come with your paid subscription.

Paying the Price As Congress, the Obama administration, and the American people debate the elements of forthcoming healthcare reform legislation, it seems apparent that reining in costs will be the key challenge that confronts us. And undoubtedly, that constraint will place added pressure on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to contract payment rates and defer reimbursement decisions for new medical technologies.

Second Chance for Stroke Market The commercial outlook for treating stroke with neurotechnology devices improved at least slightly with the news that Northstar’s cortical stimulation technology had been acquired by St. Jude Neuromodulation [see article, p3]. Although Northstar’s EVEREST trial for motor recovery from stroke failed to meet its primary endpoint last year, we have reason to believe that the cortical stimulation technology will fare better in the hands of the Dallas-based St.

Medical Mindset, Social Conscience The neurotechnology industry will likely encounter several areas where ethical considerations impact new technologies and therapies, as Warren Grill points out in his article on page 1 of this issue. The three real-world examples he cites, involving transformed mental states, enhanced human performance, and informed consent, are no doubt a small subset of the issues this industry may encounter in the years ahead.

Neurotech Vendors Target Cerebral Palsy Market Neurotechnology vendors are beginning to target new and existing products to the cerebral palsy market. Though the disorder is not as large nor as homogenous as some other conditions, there seems to be a good fit with some devices originally targeted for individuals with stroke, spinal cord injuries, movement disorders, and other neurological conditions.

Neurotech Reports Revises Market Projections Downward Neurotech Reports, the publisher of this newsletter, has released an updated version of its market research report on the neurotechnology industry that projects lower worldwide device sales than were projected in the previous version of the report. The Market for Neurotechnology: 2010-2014 was revised in part to reflect the impact of recent economic conditions.

Remote Neurosensing Market Sees Flurry of Activity The market for neurosensing and brain analysis systems with integrated communication capabilities is undergoing expansion, based on recent market activity. Remote sensing devices offer clinicians the opportunity to help diagnose neurological conditions such as stroke or brain injury. One of the newest entrants in the remote neurosensing market is a…