Intellis

Medtronic has acquired Stimgenics, which a press release reports has pioneered a novel spinal cord stimulation (SCS) waveform known as “differential target multiplexed” (DTM) spinal cord stimulation. The press release adds that the therapy, which is delivered via the Medtronic Intellis platform, is a new and unique programming option to treat patients with chronic pain. Three month results from a randomised control trial (RCT) evaluating DTM vs. conventional spinal cord therapy will be presented at the 2020 North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) meeting (23–26 January, Las Vegas, USA). The trial will continue to evaluate outcomes through 12-month follow-up.

The DTM waveform may engage a novel mechanism that modulates both neurons and glial cells, expanding the understanding of spinal cord stimulation mechanisms of action. It has been studied in animal models, showing statistically significant reversal of pain behaviours compared to either low frequency or high frequency alone. Additionally, preclinical studies investigating the genome of nerve-injured animals suggests that the DTM waveform has a greater impact in the neural-glial interaction than other frequencies alone.

Ricardo Vallejo (Millennium Pain Center, Bloomington, USA), founder and lead investigator of Stimgenics, comments: “Stimgenics’ research is deeply rooted in clinical science that began with animal work more than a decade ago. Our preclinical data demonstrated that the modulation of both neurons and glial cells may return glial cells to their normal state and modify how they interact with neurons, which could normalise biological processes and break the pain cascade. I am thrilled that Medtronic has acquired a therapy that has the potential to significantly improve outcomes for chronic pain patients.”

Marshall Stanton, president of the Pain Therapies business, which is part of the Restorative Therapies Group at Medtronic, states: “Medtronic is committed to providing clinically-proven therapeutic options for millions of patients suffering from chronic pain around the world. We believe that DTM therapy will advance the treatment of chronic pain, supported by clinical evidence and preclinical research on a neuronal-glial mechanism of action. It’s an exciting, new proprietary spinal cord therapy waveform that will be available on the Intellis platform, and we are looking forward to seeing the results of the randomized control trial data later this month at NANS.”

This transaction is expected to be neutral to fiscal year 2020 earnings per share and meet Medtronic’s long-term financial metrics for acquisitions. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.