Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

New spinal treatment could prevent paralysis Nineteen years ago, Frank Reynolds knew firsthand what it was like to be a paraplegic after an accident left him paralyzed. "You pray for those little things, you know. You pray to be able to walk," said Reynolds. Amazingly, he's now able to walk again, but with new purpose. "This is the first time patients, we think, will have real hope," said Reynolds. That hope is that those facing paralysis will someday walk again, by implanting a small device directly into their spinal cord. The device was developed by Cambridge company, InVivo Therapeutics. "About 90 percent of all patients who arrive in the emergency room after a spinal cord injury, they can't move. They can't feel, but they are not paralyzed for life. There is actually a three-week window of opportunity where you can intervene," said Reynolds. Permanent paralysis, instead, happens in the weeks following the original injury while the cord heals. The resulting scarring blocks key pathways the brain uses to communicate. "If you can just mitigate that inflammation, you get less scarring. And with less scarring, you get more functionality," said Reynolds. Made of the same material as biodegradable stitches, animal studies … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (OTC/BB: NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and neurotrauma conditions, today announced that CEO Frank Reynolds is scheduled to appear on WCVB-TV in Boston tonight, August 21st during the 11:00pm EDT newscast. InVivo Therapeutics has pioneered a new treatment that uses a biocompatible polymer-based scaffold to provide structural support to a damaged spinal cord in order to spare tissue from scarring while improving recovery and prognosis after a traumatic spinal cord injury. Our technology is a true platform that can be leveraged to create many products, including treatments for peripheral nerve injury and other conditions. Were currently under review at FDA for our first spinal cord injury treatment, and we look forward to receiving approval to begin those human studies, said Reynolds. WCVB-TV is the ABC affiliate for the Boston market and airs locally on channel 5. About InVivo Therapeutics InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. is utilizing polymers as a platform technology to develop treatments to improve function in individuals paralyzed from traumatic spinal cord injuries. The company was founded in 2005 based on proprietary technology co-invented by Robert S. Langer, ScD, Professor at Massachusetts Institute … Continue reading →

The Kenya Paraplegic Organization (KPO) will begin the construction of the first ever Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre using the Kshs 73 million that has so far been raised in the Bring Zack Home campaign. The amount was raised by the public and corporate organizations in the first phase of a 60-day campaign which ran from June 9, 2012 to August 7, 2012. Speaking Saturday during his welcoming ceremony in Bissil town, Kajiado county Zack Kimotho, the face behind the campaign said that despite the challenges faced, it has been a journey of hope and determination to see that Kenya has the much needed hospital. The ground breaking for the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre is slated to take place on September on a 12 acre piece of land purchased by KPO in Kiserian. He said "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the foundation of all others. I thank everybody who contributed towards the campaign and with your continued support we will be able to complete the centre and help our fellow citizens." Zack said that the centre is expected to provide quality, affordable and comprehensive health care to around 75,000 persons living with spinal injuries. He … Continue reading →

This is part of a 30-part series called "Game Changers." This special series investigates the most remarkable advancements in science, energy and health and how they will impact the way we live. This series is brought to you by Samsung's Galaxy S3. Scientists in Switzerland treated paralyzed rats through a combination of chemical, electrical, and physical stimulation. They found that the paralyzed rats who underwent treatment could walk again some could even run. In the past, scientists have individually tested chemical, electrical, and physical training therapies on paralyzed humans but until now they have never tested a combination of all three technologies at once. NeuroscientistGregoire Courtine,the study's lead author, told ABC Newsthat the technique "will not make miracles" and it will not completely cure a spinal cord injury, but that it does offer "new therapeutic avenues for these very traumatic injuries" through the combination ofexisting therapies. First the researcherssevered halfway through the spinal cords of a group of rats in two areas separated by an inch on opposite sides of the cord. This left some tissue intact but no direct nerve connections so that the rats could not move their hind legs. A week later the rats were placed on … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and other neurotrauma conditions, today reported the financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 and provided a business update. InVivo has pioneered a new treatment that uses a biocompatible polymer-based scaffold to provide structural support to a damaged spinal cord in order to spare tissue from scarring while improving recovery and prognosis after a traumatic spinal cord injury. Today there is no effective treatment for the spinal cord for paralysis caused by SCIs, and the market potential is estimated to be over $10 billion. The first six months of 2012 have been a time of tremendous progress for InVivo," said Frank Reynolds, InVivos Chief Executive Officer. "We are advancing multiple neurotrauma products based on our biopolymer scaffolding and hydrogel technologies. Our biopolymer scaffolding device for the treatment of acute SCI is poised to gain FDA clearance to commence human clinical studies. We recently engaged with the FDA for our hydrogel/methylprednisolone combination product and expect to submit hydrogel-based applications to the FDA for the treatments of SCI and pain later this year. Also, in July … Continue reading →

ARDSLEY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (ACOR) today announced top line results from a post-marketing commitment study evaluating a 5mg dose of dalfampridine-ER to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study failed to confirm efficacy of the 5mg dose. The study randomized 430 participants across three treatment arms: placebo, 5 mg or the currently marketed dose of 10 mg of dalfampridine-ER, twice daily. Baseline characteristics were measured at a single visit after randomization, following a qualifying screening visit. Study drug was then given for 4 weeks. Participants returned after 2 weeks on study drug for interim measurements (Visit 2), and again at 4 weeks (Visit 3). The primary outcome was the change in walking speed (feet/second) on the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW) test at Visit 3, measured at the time of peak plasma drug concentration, versus baseline. Improvements in the primary outcome for the 5 mg dose (0.423 ft/sec, p=0.457) and the 10 mg dose (0.478 ft/sec, p=0.107) at Visit 3 were not statistically significant compared to placebo (0.363 ft/sec). The AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg registration studies used a consistent response analysis to allow for the variability in MS-related symptoms, including walking ability. The … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and neurotrauma, announced today that one of the companys neurosurgeons, Amer Khalil, MD, has been selected as the winner of an MDH Research Award, a grant given by MDHonors, to further InVivos research on spinal cord injury. Dr. Khalil was awarded a grant of $10,000 for his project titled Spinal cord repair using biomaterial-based drug-releasing strategies for reducing scarring and promoting regeneration. Dr. Khalils project is important not only for InVivos second SCI product but also for the third product in the companys portfolio, a platform intended for the reduction of fibrosis which has been developed to reduce scarring in both reparative surgical and dermatological applications. Combining the need for minimizing scarring after reparative surgery and the fast growing market demand for minimizing scarring following plastic surgery procedures, InVivo believes that this technology will result in millions of treatments per day in the U.S., and the company intends to lead the space. Amer has contributed to our team for over a year now, and were proud to see his peer researchers acknowledge what we see every day at InVivo, … Continue reading →

Boyd Melson is on the other end of the telephone, talking. And talking. And talking. He sounds like a football coach pulling out the "Win one for the Gipper," speech. He's "obsessed," he says in one breath, about finding a way to help those with chronic spinal cord injuries to get out of their wheelchairs and walk, and to see them resume normal lives. "Can you imagine how great that would be?" he says, without giving one an option to think anything but, yes, that would be the greatest thing ever. In the next breath, he's talking about his fighting career and his ambition to win a world title. Anyone who understands professional boxing and knows the type of commitment it demands, the sacrifices it requires, and the skill it takes, knows it's a pipe dream. Melson is 30 and has a full-time job at Johnson & Johnson, as well as what amounts to a full-time job as a fund-raiser. As he's talking, it seems like he's doing two or three other things at once. He barely has the time to commit to a telephone conversation, let alone a fight career. Melson, though, is a true believer. No one does … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and neurotrauma, announced today that the trading symbol for its stock, trading on the OTC Bulletin Board, has been changed from NVIV.OB to NVIV. The OTC Markets, which is the electronic quotation system for all OTC securities, has dropped .OB and .PK from the stock quote information it provides to online financial portals. Investors seeking stock quote information from online financial portals should now use simply NVIV to obtain a quote. We have received numerous questions regarding our stock price being stuck at $2.20 per share for the last few weeks as that was the last price of the stock under the old trading symbol, said InVivo Therapeutics CEO Frank Reynolds. Please refresh your symbols in your watch lists or portfolios to obtain an accurate price. This change in the trading symbol has no negative impact on InVivos continued successful performance. Corporate achievements include: About InVivo Therapeutics InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. is utilizing polymers as a platform technology to develop treatments to improve function in individuals paralyzed from traumatic spinal cord injuries. The company was founded in 2005 based … Continue reading →

Award to Fund IND-Enabling Activities for the Company's HuCNS-SC(R) Neural Stem Cells in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Decision on Funding Alzheimer's Program Deferred to CIRM's September Board Meeting NEWARK, Calif., July 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM) today announced that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has approved an award to the Company and its collaborators for up to $20 million under CIRM's Disease Team Therapy Development Award program (RFA 10-05). The award is to fund preclinical development of StemCells' proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) as a potential treatment for cervical spinal cord injury. The award will provide funding over a maximum four-year period, with the goal of filing an investigational new drug (IND) application to begin clinical testing in that time. CIRM deferred a decision on the Alzheimer's disease application submitted by StemCells and referred the application back to CIRM's Grants Working Group for further consideration. CIRM is expected to review the application again at the next meeting of its governing board currently scheduled for September 6th. "We understand that this was a very competitive process and we are extremely grateful to CIRM for its support," commented Martin McGlynn, President and CEO … Continue reading →