News

Building a Presence Manufacturers of neurotechnology devices have done a good job lately of establishing a presence at important scientific conferences and industry events. In our view, the entire industry benefits when one or more neurotech firms make their presence known at events that previously lacked significant representation from neuro device companies. We were pleased to see several neurote…

Competition Heats Up in Foot Drop Stimulator Market The market for foot-drop stimulation systems is poised for increased competition with the entry of several new devices. The product category represents one of the more mature segments of the market for neural prostheses based on functional electrical stimulation. Foot drop is a form of lower limb paralysis that often accompanies stroke, leaving the patient with gait abnormalities resulting from the lack of ankle dorsiflexion.

The Age of Neuroprosthetics In the five years that we have been publishing Neurotech Business Report, we have covered several segments of the neurotechnology industry as new technologies have come to fore and funding priorities for them have risen and fallen. This month, we focus on neuroprosthetics, and we highlight several aspects of this field that offer commercial promise and unique solutions to urgent healthcare problems.

A Conscious Industry The neurosensing segment of the neurotechnology industry does not always get as much press coverage and Wall Street interest as do vendors of neurostimulation devices. But in many ways, the technology and market potential of neurosensing firms is just as promising. Neurosensing firms include manufacturers of electrophysiological and magnetoencephalography systems, electrodes, electrode caps, signal processing hardware, wireless monitoring systems, and related hardware and software.

Small Change The financial news from the neurotechnology industry in recent months has been dominated by big-money transactions. Multi-billion- dollar mergers like the St. Jude Medical/ANS deal and the Boston Scientific/Advanced Bionics purchase have helped garner attention to our relatively new and growing industry. But despite all this lucrative activity, the field is still populated companies whose nine- and 10-digit paydays are still down the road a bit.

Neurotech Vendors Pursue Alternative Power Strategies , senior technical editor The implanted stimulators used in cardiac pacing, cardiac defibrillation, and neural stimulation are, in most cases, powered , and when these batteries are depleted the devices must be replaced. Surgical replacement, which is expensive and carries associated risks, is required for continued treatment. Deep brain stimula…

Neurotech Vendors Prep for Changes in Reimbursement Manufacturers of neurotechnology devices and systems are preparing for a variety of changes to the amount of reimbursement for neurotech devices and the procedures for obtaining reimbursement. Much of the impetus for this change has been brought on be changes in leadership and philosophy at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), though changes at private insurers and foreign government agencies are also in the wind.

The Brains Behind the War The influx of thousands of American military personnel returning from Iraq with brain injuries, amputations, blindness, and other neurological conditions presents an unusual and uncomfortable opportunity for the neurotechnology industry, as we report in our article on page 1 of this issue. Neurotech firms active in the neural prosthesis and neurorehabilitation markets may well see increased business resulting from these new potential users.

Brain Stimulation an Option for Epilepsy Market , senior technical editor Approximately one third of the 2.3 million Americans with epilepsy are refractory to medical treatment. This has led to substantial efforts to develop neural stimulation devices to treat epilepsy. Cyberonics’ VNS system for stimulation of the vagus nerve is the only device on the market to treat epilepsy, and last year had 18 percent growth in international sales.

Neurotech Professionals Discuss Future at Cleveland Clinic Innovations Summit More than 800 neurotechnology industry representatives, clinicians, and researchers attended the Cleveland Clinic 2006 Medical Innovation Summit in Cleveland, OH earlier this month. This year’s event was devoted to the neurosciences and the event featured a number of presentations and panel discussions from neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, neuroimaging, and other departments at the institution.