SPR Therapeutics said yesterday it received $10 million from two new grants and a contract from the US Dept. of Defense, all to support its percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation therapy intended as a non-opioid pain relief therapy for both acute and chronic pain.
The new awards bring the total number of grants and contracts the Cleveland, Ohio-based company has received up to $30 million.
“The need among pain management physicians for non-opioid, minimally invasive and user-friendly treatment options is great. The funding provided by the Defense Department will provide additional data and insight regarding the Sprint system’s ability to improve quality of life, enable faster post-operative recovery and provide long-term pain relief,” American Society of Pain and Neuroscience prez Dr. Dawood Sayed said in a prepared statement.
The largest of the awards was a $6 million grant to support a randomized controlled trial which aims to compare the Sprint PNS system to conventional medical management, exploring its ability to reduce pain and opioid use and improve functionality amongst Service members, the company said.
SPR Therapeutics said it received a separate $3 million grant to support another randomized controlled trial which will explore the use of the Sprint PNS system for pain management following surgery for both combat and non-combat related orthopedic trauma.
The company said it also received a $1 million contract to fund continued development of its PNS platform.
“We are honored to receive this additional Department of Defense funding to advance research in support of broader use of our Sprint percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation therapy for pain. The management of chronic and post-operative pain continues to be a challenge among U.S. military, veterans and the general public. In the midst of the opioid crisis and the need for non-opioid pain treatment options, product refinements and data from additional studies of percutaneous PNS will support the independent, appropriate and effective use of our Sprint PNS System for pain management,” founder, prez & CEO Maria Bennett said in a press release.
In August, SPR Therapeutics said it won FDA approval for its Sprint endura and extensa peripheral nerve stimulation systems.
