Neurostimulation for Neonatal Absistance Syndrome
Neuro-X Partners With Spark Biomedical - Receives $217K NIH Grant to Help Opioid-Addicted Newborns
Spark Biomedical, Inc., a neurostimulation device company developing solutions for opioid withdrawal, received a $217,690 SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health HEAL initiative. The grant (1R43DA050360-01) will be used to validate the use of neurostimulation to relieve withdrawal symptoms in infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
The latest National Institute on Drug Abuse statistics estimated 32,000 babies were born with NAS in the United States in 2014, a more than 5-fold increase since 2004. That equates to a baby born every 15 minutes in opioid withdrawal. NAS is a condition where a fetus is exposed to opioids or other substances in the womb and experiences withdrawal symptoms hours after birth. Common symptoms include disturbances in the gastrointestinal, autonomic and central nervous system, leading to a range of symptoms including irritability, high-pitched cry, inadequate sleep and poor feeding.
Spark Biomedical's neurostimulation solution is a small wearable device that delivers mild electrical stimulation through the skin around the ear, targeting cranial nerve branches. The system is powered by a small rechargeable battery designed to deliver therapy throughout the 10-day treatment period.
The clinical study, expected to commence November 2019, will be overseen by Principal Investigator Dr. Navid Khodaparast, Spark Biomedical's Chief Science Officer. The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) will host the study with Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Dorothea Jenkins, Professor and Neonatologist, and Dr. Bashar Badran, Assistant Professor.