ABBOTT PARK, Ill., May 14,
2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced
that it has partnered with the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
on the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing
Innovative Neurotechnologies) initiative to
accelerate advancements in neuroscience research. As part of
the agreement, Abbott will provide the company's neuromodulation
technologies—including directional deep brain stimulation (DBS),
spinal cord stimulation (SCS), and dorsal root ganglion (DRG)
therapy—for research related to these NIH initiatives to explore
their application for chronic pain and progressive movement
disorders, like Parkinson's disease.
"The NIH is investigating the application of these devices for
the treatment of a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric
conditions and chronic pain," said Nick B.
Langhals, Ph.D., Program Director for Neural Engineering
within the Division of Translational Research at the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "The
neuromodulation technologies provided by Abbott will help us
determine the inner workings of the nervous system to help fill
gaps in our current knowledge of the brain and provide
opportunities for exploring how the brain interacts with the human
body in patients with neurological conditions."
Abbott's neuromodulation therapies have helped thousands of
people with neurological conditions to continue living fuller lives
while managing Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and
chronic pain. In addition to disrupting the marketplace with
innovative therapies, Abbott continues to focus on enhancing the
patient experience, such as integrating consumer-friendly
technologies like mobile phones and tablets.
Neurological disorders and diseases present a significant burden
to the United States healthcare
system, with over 100 million people experiencing at least one of
the known neurological disorders.1 With age being a
contributing factor to many neurological diseases such as
Parkinson's disease, this number is expected to increase by
2050.1,2
Launched in 2013, the BRAIN Initiative looks to understand
the functions of the human brain by researching and developing new
uses for innovative technologies. Recently, the BRAIN Initiative
assembled participants from contributing federal agencies,
non-federal organizations, as well as members of the media, public,
and Congress at its 5th Annual Investigators Meeting in
Washington, D.C. The meeting
provided a forum for discussing recent scientific developments and
potential new directions in brain research and identified areas for
collaboration and research coordination.
"Researchers at Abbott are continuously striving to better
understand how neuromodulation technology can benefit people living
with chronic pain or movement disorders," said Keith Boettiger, vice president,
Neuromodulation, Abbott. "In addition to our own research efforts,
including clinical and real-world studies, working together with
world-class scientists at the NIH will help us further validate our
neuromodulation therapies and explore new avenues where they may
benefit patients affected by devastating neurological
conditions."
About Abbott's Neuromodulation Therapies
For people
living with chronic pain and movement disorders, Abbott's
neuromodulation portfolio of therapies help them move and feel
better, allowing chronic pain patients to reduce or stabilize the
long-term use of opioids and get back to living their lives, while
helping patients with movement disorders combat the symptoms of
their condition. Read more about our neuromodulation
therapies and important safety information for DBS,
SCS and DRG.
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that
helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio
of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare,
with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical
devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 103,000
colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/Abbott,
www.facebook.com/AbbottChronicPain and
www.facebook.com/AbbottParkinsons on Twitter @AbbottNews and
@AbbottGlobal.
References:
- Gooch C, Pract E, Borenstein A,. The burden of neurological
disease in the United States: A
summary report and call to action. Annals of Neurology 2017.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.24897
- Marras, C., Beck, J. C., Bower, J. H., et al., on behalf of the
Parkinson's Foundation P4 Group (2018). Prevalence of Parkinson's
disease across North America.
Npj Parkinson's , 4(1), 1–7.
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SOURCE Abbott