WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
NeuroMetrix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NURO) and the Scripps Translational Science
Institute (STSI) today announced a clinical study of Quell®
wearable pain relief technology in patients with cancer related pain.
According to the National Cancer Institute, about 15 million Americans
are living with cancer or have a history of cancer. In these patients,
chronic pain is one of the most feared and challenging symptoms.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of pain is over 50% in most forms of
cancer. Prescription opioids are the mainstay of the medical management
of moderate to severe cancer pain. However, given the side effects and
the stigma of opioid use, there is growing interest in alternative
approaches to managing cancer related pain.
Quell utilizes neurostimulation technology to provide relief from
chronic pain. The wearable device is lightweight and can be worn during
the day while active, and at night while sleeping. In addition to
analgesic therapy, Quell objectively tracks utilization and various
health metrics including sleep and activity. In a recent study of Quell
in non-cancer chronic pain, 81% of participants reported improvement in
their chronic pain on the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC)
scale. In addition, 67% of participants reported a reduction in use of
analgesics.
The STSI study is 10-week single site, double blinded, sham controlled
randomized clinical trial. The study will enroll 40 adult patients who
have been diagnosed with metastatic breast, prostate or colorectal
cancer and who use at least one opioid medication on a daily basis.
These patients will be recruited from the Scripps Cancer Center in
Hillcrest, which serves central San Diego and is a cornerstone
fellowship and research site for both palliative care and oncology. The
primary endpoint is a reduction in daily opioid use assessed at weeks 2,
4, 6, 8 and 10 of the study. A 20% change in opioid consumption will be
deemed clinically relevant. This primary end point was chosen to provide
a novel way for patients with cancer to have optimal pain control while
reducing their overall opioid use. The study will also examine the
potential benefits of Quell as a digital health intervention. The device
integrates with a smartphone app that includes electronic pain tracking
and provides objective feedback to the subject about their therapy
utilization and sleep.
"We are honored to partner with STSI on this important study. Cancer
related chronic pain is a major health problem and represents a unique
clinical model to study the impact of Quell therapy," said Shai N.
Gozani, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of NeuroMetrix. "This will be the
first study specifically designed to quantitatively analyze the
potential for Quell to reduce use of prescription opioids. We look
forward to learning a great deal from this study."
"Our mission at STSI is to fundamentally change the way medicine is
practiced. We recognize the importance of cancer related pain, and more
broadly the difficulties associated with opioid therapy in chronic pain.
We hope that this study provides insights into novel therapies for this
critically important clinical challenge," said Dr. Steve Steinhubl,
Scripps Translational Science Institute.
About Scripps Translational Science Institute
The Scripps Translational Science Institute aims to replace traditional
one-size-fits-all medicine with individualized health care by leveraging
the power of genomic medicine, wireless health sensors and mobile phone
applications, and other digital medicine technologies. In a unique
collaboration, STSI merges the considerable biomedical science expertise
of The Scripps Research Institute with Scripps Health's exceptional
patient care and clinical research capabilities. STSI is supported in
part by the National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational
Science Award. For more information, visit www.stsiweb.org.
About NeuroMetrix
NeuroMetrix is an innovative health-care company that develops wearable
medical technology and point-of-care tests that help patients and
physicians better manage chronic pain, nerve diseases, and sleep
disorders. The company is located in Waltham, Massachusetts and was
founded as a spinoff from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences
and Technology in 1996. For more information, please visit www.NeuroMetrix.com
and www.QuellRelief.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160627006076/en/
NeuroMetrix, Inc.
Thomas T. Higgins, 781-314-2761
SVP and
Chief Financial Officer
neurometrix.ir@neurometrix.com
Source: NeuroMetrix, Inc.
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