A study published Sept. 18 in Nature Medicine found Onward Medical’s Arc-IM therapy improved blood pressure regulation in people with spinal cord injuries.
Feasibility trials at neurorehabilitation centers in Switzerland, Canada and the Netherlands enrolled 14 participants. Researchers implanted the Arc-IM system, which delivers targeted electrical stimulation to the thoracic spinal cord, and followed patients for up to two years.
Outcomes included blood pressure stability, symptom reduction and quality-of-life measures, according to a Sept. 18 news release from the medical device maker.
Participants experienced fewer episodes of dizziness and fatigue, reduced reliance on medications or compression garments, and improvements in bowel management. No serious device-related adverse events were reported.
Researchers also identified a spinal cord “hemodynamic hotspot” that can be stimulated to control both chronic low blood pressure and life-threatening spikes.
Arc-IM is the first neuromodulation therapy developed specifically for blood pressure instability in SCI, and Onward plans to launch its Empower BP pivotal trial later this year, following FDA investigational device exemption approval, according to the release.
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