Improving VNS therapy: ElectroCore CEO Amato on gammaCore and its slated July launch

Neuroscience tech developer ElectroCore said recently it plans to launch its handheld gammaCore vagus nerve stimulation device in the US in mid-July, after having won clearance from the FDA in April for treating episodic cluster headaches. Unlike other vagus nerve stimulation devices, the gammaCore is an external handheld device with no implanted component, designed to be used in a pain-free procedure, CEO Frank Amato told MassDevice.com in an interview. “Its a first-of-its-kind type of device,” Amato said, speaking on the recently approved and soon-to-launch gammaCore. “Vagus nerve stimulators have been around for 25 years, but they require the surgical implantation of a device into the body – and one that can’t be explanted. So once you put it in, it’s in there for life.” The gammaCore is designed to be applied to the neck where it transmits mild electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve through the skin in a non-painful manner, Amato says. In its initial launch, which Amato said is slated for some time in mid-July, the company will focus on launching the device at specialized headache centers across the US. “It’ll be launched proactively in roughly 50 of the 160 headache centers in the US. That’s somewhere around 25-35% of the headache centers that will be actively participating in identifying patients and offering our therapy,” Amato said. The device will provide a significant new option for patients with episodic ...
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Business/Financial News Neuromodulation/Neurostimulation Pain Management Source Type: news