BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Highland Instruments, Inc., (Highland) today announced award of a multi-year SBIR Grant from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH-NINDS) for the clinical evaluation of Highlands ElectroSonic Stimulation (ESStim) technology for the treatment of Parkinsons Disease (PD)1. The main academic partner collaborator in this grant and location of the clinical trial will be Spaulding Rehabilitation (Spaulding) Hospitals Laboratory of Neuromodulation (Boston). Felipe Fregni, MD, PhD, MPH, will be the Lead Clinical Investigator. Dr. Fregni is the Director of the Laboratory of Neuromodulation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Bill Edelman, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Highland commented, We are thrilled to have received award of the SBIR Grant for the clinical evaluation of ESStim. We are currently investigating the potential benefits of ESStim for the management of osteoarthritis pain and look forward to potentially expanding the clinical capabilities of this technology in Parkinsons disease. Dr. Fregni is a pioneer in the world of noninvasive brain stimulation, having conducted groundbreaking trials exploring neuromodulation treatments for chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. Timothy Wagner, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder for Highland commented, Following years … Continue reading →

By Clare Goldwin PUBLISHED: 17:45 EST, 30 July 2012 | UPDATED: 09:12 EST, 31 July 2012 When Nikki Baudains was diagnosed with Parkinsons, one of the few positive things that seemed to come out of it was a new burst of creativity. While previously the closest shed come to being an artist was face-painting children at fetes, two years ago a few months after starting a new medication she had a burning desire to paint. Suddenly, art dominated her life; she produced thousands of canvases some 2,000 in the past 18 months alone and exhibited near her home in Jersey. Compulsion: Nikki Baudains painted 12 hours a day. Her obsessive behaviour was a side-effect of the medication she was taking for Parkinson's Like many other Parkinsons sufferers, Nikkis obsessive behaviour was a side-effect of her medication. But while hers was expressed creatively, there have been other examples of Parkinsons patients developing more troubling behaviour, such as gambling or sex addictions. Those affected find themselves trapped in an almost impossible situation: their compulsions are caused by medication, but they cant stop taking it because it would leave them unable to function physically. For Nikki, 48, her obsession has come at a … Continue reading →

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Decision Resources, one of the worlds leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that through examination of U.S. patient-level claims data, that patient share of Teva/Lundbecks Azilect among recently treated Parkinsons disease patients continues to grow, increasing 8 percent between the fourth quarter of 2010 and the fourth quarter of 2011. Treatment Algorithms in Parkinsons Disease examines prescription drug use for more than 23,000 diagnosed, drug-treated Parkinsons disease patients. Use of Azilect may be driven in part by its milder side effect profile compared with selegiline (Somerset Pharmaceuticals Eldepryl, generics), making Azilect a safer treatment choice among monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitors. Among recently treated patients who progressed to Azilect, the majority added the agent to their preceding line of therapy rather than discontinue the preceding line. Additionally, most patients progressed to Azilect from generic levodopa-carbidopa fixed-dose combinations, with the majority of these patients adding Azilect to levodopa-carbidopa therapy. Parkinsons disease patients moving from levodopa-carbidopa treatment to Azilect or adding Azilect to their levodopa-carbidopa therapy likely need additional treatment to control motor symptoms. Azilects mild side effect profile along with data suggesting possible disease-modifying capabilities make it the preferred MAO-B inhibitor, … Continue reading →

Bill Edelman, chairman, Highland Instruments Highland Instruments Inc. has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant over the next few years to study the use of its ElectroSonic Stimulation (ESStim) technology for the treatment of Parkinsons Disease. Bill Edelman, chairman of the board for Highland, told Mass High Tech only that the grant, through the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH-NINDS), is substantial, but did not disclose the amount. The ESStim has been in a Phase 1 trial for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain of the knee since October 2011, said Edelman. Highland, which was founded in 2007 and operates out of small Boston office, has as its main academic partner in the grant, the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospitals Laboratory of Neuromodulation in Boston, according to a statement from the company. Following years of extensive pre-clinical development, I am excited to see the potential benefits of ESStim being brought into the clinic, said Timothy Wagner, Chief Scientific Officer and founder of Highland in a statement. We hope that ESStim will overcome limitations of other reported non-invasive brain stimulation technologies. Read the original: Highland gets SBIR grant to study Parkinson’s treatment … Continue reading →