MicroTransponder: Latest News and Research

I doubt progress on something like this would move very fast. Although I exchanged a few emails with Thomas, one of the founders of Auris medical, and he said the industry is at a tipping point (I was coincidentally asking about investment opportunities, lol) where once one drug or therapy makes it to the market and is successful, there's going to be a "golden age" of research done on this, especially by pharmaceutical companies. They're interested in new markets, because patents on many of their traditional money making anti-anxiety meds and other compounds are expiring and generics are readily available.

Microtransponder is in a decent position. I really agree that the solution to tinnitus will be a brain based, rather than an ear based solution per-se. The vagus nerve stimulation is well documented and has been used for treating other conditions for a while now. Luckily for them, that means they won't have to worry as much about safety and tolerability of the VNS, but their main concern will be the efficacy of the method and whether it really works or not. They've got an option to sign up for possible clinical trials plastered on the front page of their website. That indicates to me a company that's got some confidence in their approach and that they're aggressively going to try and get at the forefront of the tinnitus treatment industry, which I feel is going to be a decently sized one at that.

I'd take Luke Skywalker's right hand if it made my tinnitus go away, much less an electrode implant (lots of people already have those for chronic pain and muscle issues and function very normally).

 

Hi All,

I couldn't see a post dedicated to this so apologies if this is a repost and please merge if necessary. I recieved the following email alert from MicroTransponder today:

The MicroTransponder team has continued to work diligently on our neurostimulation therapy for treating tinnitus. We are pleased to announce that we will be starting a 30-patient U.S. clinical trial at multiple sites later in 2013. We do not have an exact date for the start of enrollment, since we are still awaiting regulatory approval. We will send another email once we have approval which will provide the appropriate trial site contact information for all patients that are interested in participating in this trial. At that time, we will also post the information on our website (www.microtransponder.com).

We recognize that many of you have been following our developments related to tinnitus for many years. Our most recent press release in August – PRESS RELEASE has resulted in many questions from patients, so we wanted to send this update email.

MicroTransponder is also pleased to announce that we are continuing to support our long term research partner - the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). UTD has recently formed the Texas Biomedical Device Center, which is devoted to assisting in the translation of medical device research into clinical therapies for patients. One of their specific areas of device focus is Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy – which is the same therapy we use to treat tinnitus. UTD also has extensive research projects relating to auditory disorders, including tinnitus, through the Callier Hearing and Speech Center. If anyone is interested in making donations to support this research, please visit their website ( Texas Biomedical Device Center ) and click on the donate link.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to follow our progress.

Sincerely,

The MicroTransponder Team

Potentially an opportunity for some of you to get involved from the US!! Fingers crossed this goes well

Mission

 

@MissionForTheCure Thanks so much for posting this. We do know MicroTransponder will have a device on the market in the next few years along with Auris Medical.

And the Texas Biomedical Center looks wonderful! I don't want to be a bionic girl any time soon--but these technologies are indisputably useful and will transform medicine in the next decade.

 

I would date this girl if it meant she beat her tinnitus

Haha, sorry, your comment made me think of this Jazz.

Although I think Kerrigan from Starcraft was part Zerg, not machine

@MissionForTheCure - thanks for posting the update! It's nice to hear they are waiting on regulatory approval. As someone who works in an industry where we deal with regulatory approvals constantly, it's a long and expensive process. I can attest to that. Everything must be submitted perfectly, as well. I did not receive an email from these folks though, and I'm signed up for their tinnitus emailing list. Odd.

 

Fantastic! This is the only treatment I actually have some actual faith in.

Any news on that other University's transponder that popped-up on the forums a few month ago?

 

@Hudson Cute girl! Ha!

Still, it makes you think...what we'd all do to get rid of our tinnitus. Like most people, I would gladly give up my hearing. I was nearly deaf for a week or so after a nasty cold ruptured both of my eardrums--which set me up for tinnitus later. Anyway, not hearing was quite peaceful. I worked, studied, etc. Sure, I wanted to hear, but I wasn't miserable not hearing. That's not true with tinnitus. We all long for silence--whether we're low or loud, we want the sound to leave forever!

I wonder why you weren't notified of the trial? Maybe they have your email wrong. If you are interested, write them. The only downside of the therapy--that I know--is a hoarseness from the stimulation. I don't know if this hoarseness is permanent or temporary, but it's something to inquire about if you go for the trial. Whatever the risks are, I'm sure they have full disclosure.

It's also impressive how Micro Transponder has tapped into venture capitalism. (They also got a few million from the US government.) Perhaps, this bodes well for the future of tinnitus innovation. If Wall Street truly gets interested in this disease, their pockets are deep and wide. I'm not sure about this, but venture capitalists' investment in health care modalities probably rivals that of big pharma.

 

I have been watching this for the last couple years and signed up for a trial back then..At that time they were having a great deal of trouble getting funding. Looks like now that problem is solved.

Its great that the DOD is getting involved. With trials on about 30 Vets. I understand these will be selected form active duty personnel. Tinnitus is a serious problem with the military and they are now beginning to take it far more seriously than just a few years ago. The VA has the deep pockets to keep the ball rolling.

The downside to this is estimated cost of about 25 thousand and that at this time most, if not all, insurance co's will not cover this..Even for a 50/50 chance I am willing to put a 2nd mortgage on the house.

 

I found a late August press release published on a medical device website, which is also interesting. Below is the company's timeline for approval in Europe and the US:

The goal is to obtain CE Mark for both the devices [for stroke and tinnitus] in 2014 and then seek additional money to fund a clinical trial for a PMA submission in the U.S.

Source: http://www.mddionline.com/article/m...new-neurostimulation-treatment-stroketinnitus
​

Here are the web pages for the regulatory agencies:

http://www.bsiamerica.com/en-us/Sec...dical-devices/CE-marking-for-medical-devices/

http://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/p...provalsandclearances/pmaapprovals/default.htm​

 

Would be awesome if this worked, but I wonder what sort of side effects it may have? Or wether or not it might effect one's hearing or other CNS-centric symptoms. Guess we will see in time, exciting stuff though!

 

Indeed this is exciting news and with the developments of Auris Medical I feel like we are really starting to push towards getting a certified treatment to deal with T. The thought of going to the doctors and the response being "oh sure, we can fix this through a localized injection in the ear or via a brand new break through neurostimulation technique" is the hope I am holding on for!! Even if these treatments help alleviate the symptoms, this will be a tremendous breakthrough.

In the meantime we need to stay in the present, stay relaxed, enjoy life like every day is our last and keep patient for the cure of tomorrow . I am positive for the future and for the happy lives we all deserve!

Keep the faith guys and stay strong, I'll post back on if I hear any more!

Mission

 

Hello Hudson, I hadn't heard anything from Microtransponder so a while ago I tried to add my name again to the email listing. I received a reply saying I was already registered, however, I did receive the above email so maybe try and register again? Maybe it jogs the memory or something!

 

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/09/...-test-new-treatments-for-stroke-and-tinnitus/

 

Can people like us invest? I bet people on this forum has knowledge that could make us pretty rich when it comes to investment opportunities like this.

When a cure is actually close, people like us will be the first to know and we can invest.

 

A brand new gewgaw. My hope is towards human focused initiatives not venture stories.

 

http://www.microtransponder.com/

People in the US can sign up here.

 

As i have understood are we gonna pay 25k for this human focused initiative.

 

Maybe some of the most updated and well spoken members could put together a list of questions we could ask the research team?
At the bottom of the poster it says "CONTACT: Please contact Brent Tarver at brent@microtransponder.com - for further information on this study"

http://www.vnsfortinnitus.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TRI-MicroTransponder-Tinnitus-Poster.jpg

@Markku , @Hopeful ?

 

Erlend,

I understand your desire to find out as much as you can about their research, as it is interesting. You will find reluctance to release any information that is not considered a press release from most of these people, as they are rightly concerned about protecting their intellectual property and research.

 

I think tinnitus sufferers deserve more information from the researchers, something to get some relief...

 

No, those milk 25k are called hope exploiters..

 

Unless we are investors they really owe us nothing.

 

Has anyone on this forum joined the trials for this?
If this works, which the people behind it obviously have faith that it will (and they know a lot more than us), wouldn't that mean that there could be an effective treatment for many of us within 2 years?

 

I believe the first wave of human guinea pigs will be military veterans.

 

Well, if this ends up working, I actually don't care if I should wait a little bit. Two reasons:

1. The sole fact that knowing a treatment is available makes tinnitus much less annoying. For me, the hard part is the incurable part.
2. They can improve the implementation while testing on the 'guinea pigs'.

 

@Hopeful, I completely agree. If there was a proven treatment already in the works, I would care much less about my tinnitus. That being said, I have a feeling that researchers are close to making a huge breakthrough and that a cure and/or effective treatment is right around the corner.

 

@Jake I hope you're right. I really do.

 

Is this vagus-nerve some sort of super wire? What makes them think this will help tinnitus?

 

It is the superwire of the human body and keeps everything working, it`s like the high-way of information ...

The vagus nerve is either one of two cranial nerves which are extremely long, extending from the brain stem all the way to the viscera. The vagus nerves carry a wide assortment of signals to and from the brain, and they are responsible for a number of instinctive responses in the body. You may also hear the vagus nerve called Cranial Nerve X, as it is the 10th cranial nerve, or the Wandering Nerve. A great deal of research has been carried out on the vagus nerve, as it is a rather fascinating cranial nerve.

Vagus is Latin for “wandering,” and it is an accurate description of this nerve, which emerges at the back of the skull and meanders in a leisurely way through the abdomen, with a number of branching nerves coming into contact with the heart, lungs, voicebox, stomach, and ears, among other body parts. The vagus nerve carries incoming information from the nervous system to the brain, providing information about what the body is doing, and it also transmits outgoing information which governs a range of reflex responses.

The vagus nerve helps to regulate the heart beat, control muscle movement, keep a person breathing, and to transmit a variety of chemicals through the body. It is also responsible for keeping the digestive tract in working order, contracting the muscles of the stomach and intestines to help process food, and sending back information about what is being digested and what the body is getting out of it.