Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

WEST ORANGE, NJ--(Marketwired - May 17, 2013) - Ross Zafonte, D.O., is the 2013 recipient of Kessler Foundation's Joel A. DeLisa, MD Award for Excellence in Research and Education in the Field of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R). Dr. Zafonte will be honored at the Foundation's Board of Trustees Recognition Dinner in Cedar Grove on May 22. The award includes a $50,000 unrestricted grant for Dr. Zafonte's research activities. An expert on brain injury, Dr. Zafonte is the Harvard Medical School Earle P. and Ida S. Charlton Professor and Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. He also serves as Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Massachusetts General Hospital. His textbook, Brain Injury Medicine: Principles and Practice, is considered one of the standards in brain injury care. He is currently studying the impact of multiple concussions as well as innovative agents to enhance recovery after brain and spinal cord injury. He is also principal investigator (PI) on a study that evaluates the role of specific pharmacotherapy to treat long-term cognitive deficits after traumatic brain injury (TBI). "The Foundation is pleased to honor Dr. Zafonte, who is … 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 announced that the Company will be conducting a webcast of the Annual Shareholders Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time at the offices of Greenberg Traurig, LLP at One International Place, Boston, MA 02110. The webcast can be accessed by interested shareholders and other parties at https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1017369. The meeting will also be accessible by telephone in listen-only mode. From the US, please dial 1-877-941-2068; from outside the US, please dial 1-480-629-9712. All participants should reference Conference ID 4620317. Slides from the meeting will be available to those viewing the webcast,and a replay of the webcast including presentation slides will also be available under the Investor Relations section of the InVivo Therapeutics website within 24 hours. 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 of Technology, and Joseph P. … Continue reading →

ARDSLEY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) today announced that Ron Cohen, M.D., Acordas President and Chief Executive Officer, will present at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, May 22 at 10:30 a.m. at the Sheraton New York Hotel in New York. A live audio webcast of the presentation can be accessed under Investor Events in the Investor section of the Acorda website at http://www.acorda.com or you may use the link: http://cc.talkpoint.com/ubsx001/052013b_ep/?entity=75_1X566TQ Please log in approximately 5 minutes before the scheduled time of the presentations to ensure a timely connection. Archived versions of this webcast will be available until June 15 on the Investors section of http://www.acorda.com. About Acorda Therapeutics Acorda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapies that restore function and improve the lives of people with MS, spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions. Acorda markets AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg, in the United States as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an improvement in walking speed. AMPYRA is marketed outside the United States as FAMPYRA (prolonged-release fampridine tablets) by Biogen Idec under a licensing agreement from Acorda. AMPYRA and FAMPYRA are manufactured … 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 announced that the Company is the Title Sponsor of the 8th annual Working 2 Walk Science & Advocacy Symposium taking place September 27-28, 2013 at the Boston Convention & Exhibit Center in Boston, MA. Working 2 Walk is an annual event held by Unite 2 Fight Paralysis to bring together spinal cord injury research scientists, practitioners, investors and consumers for a discussion of current research and strategies that will accelerate progress toward cures for paralysis. Unite 2 Fight Paralysis is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the realization of curative therapies. This will be the fifth year that InVivo has participated as a sponsor at the Symposium. InVivo Therapeutics has developed a 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 SCI. The Company recently received FDA approval to begin a first-in-man clinical trial of the treatment in acute SCI. Said Frank Reynolds, InVivo Chief Executive Officer, We are proud to once again … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/rmlhjl/neuromodulation) has announced the addition of the "Neuromodulation Market - [Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Gastric Electrical Stimulation (GES), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS), & Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)] - Forecasts to 2017" report to their offering. The main drivers for the neuromodulation market are the rising population of aged people and age-related diseases like Alzheimer's, epilepsy, spinal cord injury, and Parkinson's disease. According to the International Neuromodulation Society, about 40 million to 50 million patients worldwide suffer from epilepsy, and 1.5 million people currently (2012) suffer from Parkinson disease in the U.S. The large pool of patients that suffer from depression, stroke, anxiety disorders, lower back pain, urinary incontinence, and tremor offers the neuromodulation industry opportunities to grow in the next five years. The market for treatment of tinnitus, in particular, represents an emerging application of neuromodulation. According to the American Tinnitus Association, about 50 million people currently (2012) suffer from this disease in the U.S. Neuromodulation devices have emerged as one of the fastest growing segments of the medical device market due to high demand for minimally invasive and non-invasive treatment. With advancements in technology, neuromodulation is … Continue reading →

ARDSLEY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) today announced that Andrew R. Blight, Ph.D., Acordas Chief Scientific Officer will present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2013 Health Care Conference on Thursday, May 16 at 10:40 a.m. at the Encore at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. A live audio webcast of the presentation can be accessed under Investor Events in the Investor section of the Acorda website at http://www.acorda.com or you may use the link: http://www.veracast.com/webcasts/baml/healthcare2013/id38106640.cfm Please log in approximately 5 minutes before the scheduled time of the presentations to ensure a timely connection. Archived versions of this webcast will be available until April 4 on the Investors section of http://www.acorda.com. About Acorda Therapeutics Acorda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapies that restore function and improve the lives of people with MS, spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions. Acorda markets AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg, in the United States as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an improvement in walking speed. AMPYRA is marketed outside the United States as FAMPYRA (prolonged-release fampridine tablets) by Biogen Idec under a licensing … Continue reading →

Antibiotics were touted in headlines this week as a groundbreaking treatment for chronic lower back pain. The Guardian quoted a prominent British spinal surgeon as saying the experimental treatment, based on Danish research, is worthy of a Nobel Prize. But Canadian specialists in spinal-cord injury caution that the promise of an antibiotic cure is based on a preliminary pilot study that is far from conclusive. According to the study, published in April in the European Spine Journal, as many as four in 10 cases of chronic lower back pain may be caused by a bacterial infection that can be cleared up with antibiotics. Researchers from the Spine Centre of Southern Denmark recruited 162 patients who had suffered lower back pain for at least six months following a herniated disc. The patients also had a type of swelling within the vertebrae known as Modic Type 1 changes. Patients received either 100 days of antibiotic treatment or a placebo. Compared with patients given a placebo, the treatment group improved significantly in measures of pain and use of sick leave. The improvements persisted in a one-year follow-up. In an earlier report, also published in the European Spine Journal, the Danish team linked Modic … 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 financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and provided a business update. InVivo has pioneered a new treatment platform utilizing a variety of biocompatible polymer-based devices to provide structural support to a damaged spinal cord in order to spare tissue from scarring while improving functional 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 $15 billion. "We are off to a great start for 2013 and continue to successfully accelerate our plans, said Frank Reynolds, InVivos Chief Executive Officer. Weve received FDA approval to commence a first-in- man clinical study for our biopolymer scaffolding to treat acute SCI, and we also received Humanitarian Use Device designation for the product. Wall Street has noticed, and our stock price has appreciated significantly since these key milestones were achieved. This has permitted us to call investor warrants that will provide up to $16.1 million of equity capital, but more … Continue reading →

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Select Medical begin construction today on a project to nearly double the number of beds at its joint venture, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital. Since its opening in July 2010, the medical rehabilitation hospital has seen an increasing number of referrals from physicians throughout central Pennsylvania and beyond seeking inpatient rehabilitation for critically injured patients. The expansion will add 44 new beds to the hospitals existing 54 beds, nearly doubling the hospitals size. Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital provides post-acute care to individuals with stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, joint replacement and orthopedic conditions, and general medical rehabilitation needs. The goal of care is to help them recover the strength, skills, confidence and independence to return home to family and friends, and work, school or community activities. Responding to a need for specialized rehabilitation services in the region, the Rehabilitation Hospitals expansion includes the addition of 22 transitional care rehabilitation beds, which will focus on patients with short term rehabilitation needs, an outpatient program specializing in ongoing treatment for traumatic brain injuries and an outpatient wound care program. Were proud to offer area patients direct access to whats truly becoming … Continue reading →

A local man, left paralyzed from a horrific car accident, completed a cross state hand-cycle ride today. It's to raise money for Independence Regained, an organization bent on bringing more spinal cord and brain injury treatment to Shreveport-Bossier. Hand-cyclist Scott Wells rode 180 miles before returning from his second Cycling for Independence Ride. His ride isn't just for his own independence but to raise money for others who've suffered brain and spinal cord injuries. After local treatment, several often travel to Huston, Tx. for rehabilitation. Wells' organization hopes to bring such therapies to Shreveport-Bossier. "The biggest thing we see is having the family support systems to be to stay right their with their family member and be fully integrated into learning everything that's going on with their family member," Wells said. "So, they'll understand the whole process of this life changing event that's going on." Wells says cycling requires endurance but also gives him a sense of freedom. Part of his plan is get more wheelchair bound individuals on a hand-cycle, as well. "Especially people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries and neurological disorders," Wells said. "Getting into an exercise program because it's so crucial to helping them live … Continue reading →