Some spinal cord injury patients saw significant improvement in hand and arm function after using Onward Medical's Arc-EX spinal cord stimulator, the devicemaker said May 20.
Results of a clinical trial for the Arc-EX therapy reached all primary safety and effectiveness endpoints, and the device showed "significant improvements in upper limb strength, function, and sensation" in patients with chronic tetraplegia due to cervical SCI, according to a news release. The findings were published in Nature Medicine.
Seventy-two percent of the trial participants were responsive to the non-invasive therapy — meaning they met improvement criteria in strength and functional domains. Ninety percent of participants had improvement in at least one strength or functional outcome.
Onward Medical is in the process of earning approval for Arc-EX therapy in the U.S. It currently has market approval in Europe.