US – SpineX’s (an early stage bioelectric medtech company) new data in reference to its medical device Scone has been published in the esteemed medical journal Neurotherapeutics.

Scone is SpineXs new medical device that is set to provide non-surgical treatment for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP).

This study describes how acute spinal neuromodulation improved the postural and locomotor abilities in 11 out of 12 patients including the ability to generate bilateral weight bearing stepping in a two-year-old (GMFCS level IV) who was unable to step.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture and is the most common motor disability in children.

The disease affects over 17 million individuals worldwide and can be classified into four main types, namely: Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy, Ataxic Cerebral Palsy and Mixed Cerebral Palsy.

CP currently has no cure but the condition can however be managed using available drug, surgery, braces and speech therapy.

Currently, the global cerebral palsy market is expected to grow with a compound annual growth rate of over 5% being forecasted between the year 2019-2023.

For treatment purposes, the market has been segmented into the therapy segment that has nutrition therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, stem cell therapy, and others.

Companies like Allergen Plc, Cellular Biomedicine Group, Merck & Co., Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Abbott Laboratories, Acorda Therapeutics, Medtronic, Meridigen Biotech Co., GW Pharmaceuticals Plc, and Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd. are among the key top players in the CP therapeutic market.

SpineX is hopeful to join the market with its medical device Scone based on data it will relay in the next clinical trials.

 Scone is a proprietary spinal electrical neuromodulation device that delivers low intensity electrical pulses to reactivate the spinal neural networks responsible for controlling the stepping motion and allows the brain and spinal cord to be reintegrated.

Co-author and key opinion leader Dr. Susan Hastings said, “SCONE Therapy is potentially the most effective treatment for children with Cerebral palsy that exists today; it enables voluntary muscle activity at the level needed for a functional activity such as walking with successful therapy being contingent upon proper alignment, posture, and orientation.”

The potential for real world improvements and hope for children with CP was echoed by one study participant’s mother, who has sought multiple interventions including intensive physical therapy for years with limited success. “We saw a considerable improvement in head and trunk strength with the very first use of SCONE,” said Dawn Hamilton. “Emerson sat, stood, and transitioned from sitting to standing with much less effort, held the positions for longer and had a calmer, more balanced body. To say I’m excited is an understatement.”

According to SpineX CEO, Dr. Parag Gad, the company plans to continue testing and developing Scone therapy for children with CP and will evaluate the long-term effects of combining it with activity-based neurorehabilitation.