Commercialisation firm NDI Medical launches Deep Brain Innovations, based on Duke University research.
NDI Medical, a US-based commercialisation firm, has spun out Deep Brain Innovations (DBI), a biotech firm that focuses on therapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
DBI, based in Cleveland, will commercialise research into deep brain simulation (DBS) conducted by Professor Warren Grill at the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, who will become the firm’s chief scientific officer.
Dr. Grill said: “After more than a decade of research we’ve discovered a way to ‘speak’ to the area of the brain that controls movement in persons with Parkinson’s disease. The stimulation patterns, somewhat akin to Morse code for the brain, were designed to be much more efficient than conventional DBS. This is vital because the gains we make in improved efficiency increase the longevity of implanted brain stimulation devices, thus reducing health care costs, risks, and complications associated with frequent battery replacement for persons with DBS Systems.”
DBI is now looking for a commercial partner to work with the firm to complete its final clinical trial and bring the device to market over the next two years. Neurostimulation devices are a rapidly growing sector, and the global market for the technology is expected to be worth $6.8bn in the next three years.
Geoff Thorpe, chief executive at DBI, said: “We will be seeking strategic partners to integrate our TOPS™ technology into their devices to develop what we expect will be the smallest and longest lasting DBS systems available. In addition to treating Parkinson’s disease, we can also adapt our technology to other disease states being investigated for treatment with DBS such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and obesity.”
Geoff and Warren have collaborated in the past on a bladder pacing system, MedStim, which was bought by biotech firm Medtronic in 2008 for $42m.
