ONWARD
ONWARD today announced the publication of a study in the journal, Nature , which found targeted electrical spinal cord stimulation stabilizes blood pressure in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
“A serious and underrecognized result of spinal cord injury is unstable blood pressure, which can have devastating consequences that reduce quality of life and are life threatening. Unfortunately, there are no effective therapies for unstable blood pressure after spinal cord injury,” said Dr. Aaron Phillips, PhD, a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Libin Cardiovascular Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and co-lead author of the study. “We created the first platform to understand the mechanisms underlying blood pressure instability after spinal cord injury, which allowed us to develop a new cutting-edge solution.”
Loss of movement and sensation are the most commonly known impacts of spinal cord injury, but SCI is also frequently accompanied by other effects that challenge activities of daily living. Blood pressure instability is one such effect, making it difficult for people with SCI to change body position – moving from lying to sitting to standing. In this study, researchers from University of Calgary, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), and University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV) demonstrated they could quickly and accurately normalize blood pressure with electrical spinal cord stimulation. Stabilization was observed in rodents and non-human primates for extended periods after acute and chronic spinal cord injury, and the approach also showed promise in humans.
This research is a breakthrough in the fundamental understanding of how blood pressure regulatory circuits function in people with SCI and sets the foundation for further studies assessing the use of electrical spinal cord stimulation to regulate blood pressure and other autonomic functions in people with SCI.
“We used similar concepts and technologies to restore walking after paralysis and are now pleased to leverage those advances to address this very common but serious effect of SCI,” said Dr. Grégoire Courtine, PhD, Professor at EPFL, Director of .NeuroRestore, and co-lead author of the study. “We look forward to working with ONWARD to conduct clinical trials in humans so this approach can be translated into a viable therapeutic option for people with SCI.”
This research will be further advanced by a $36 million contract granted by the United States Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) for a five-year project to develop neurotherapeutics that bridge the gap between the spinal cord and the brain after spinal cord injury. The DARPA contract enables an alliance of 12 institutions around the world that includes EPFL, University of Calgary and ONWARD to conduct groundbreaking research in the pursuit of new therapies for spinal cord injury. DARPA has helped develop major technological advancements including the internet, GPS and Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface (SIRI.)
About ONWARD
ONWARD (@onwdempowered ), formerly known as GTX Medical, is a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies to facilitate functional recovery of people with spinal cord injury. Driven by a mission to restore movement, independence, and health in people with spinal cord injury, ONWARD’s work builds on more than a decade of basic science and preclinical research conducted at the world’s leading neuroscience laboratories. ONWARD’s ARC Therapy, which can be delivered by implantable (ARCIM ) or external (ARCEX ) systems, is designed to deliver targeted, programmed stimulation of the spinal cord to restore movement and other functions in people with spinal cord injury, ultimately improving their quality of life. Both of ONWARD’s technology platforms have been awarded Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA.
ONWARD is headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, the Netherlands and the EPFL Innovation Park in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a growing U.S. presence in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. For additional information about the company, please visit ONWD.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn .
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210127005140/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Mastering Complexity & Increasing Efficiency: CES 2026: dSPACE Demonstrates Test and AI Solutions for SDV Development16.12.2025 14:02:00 CET | Press release
At CES 2026, dSPACE will showcase end-to-end test solutions that enable vehicle manufacturers to efficiently master the increasing complexity in the development of software-defined vehicles. At booth 4500 in West Hall, dSPACE will present a comprehensive validation portfolio with AI-supported software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop solutions for accelerated vehicle development. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216117958/en/ At CES 2026, dSPACE will present a comprehensive validation portfolio with AI-supported software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop solutions for accelerated SDV development. AI is a strategic enabler throughout the entire development and test process. dSPACE has been exploring how the latest developments in generative and agentic AI technologies can support software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing and enable CI/CD pipelines for automated validation. In an exhibit, dSPACE will demonstra
PPG achieves REDCert² sustainable raw material certification at two key European sites16.12.2025 14:01:00 CET | Press release
PPG (NYSE: PPG) today announced that its Architectural Coatings manufacturing sites in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Søborg, Denmark have received REDCert² certification, which verifies the use of sustainable raw materials through a certified chain of custody. REDCert² uses the mass balance approach, a recognized method for attributing the sustainability value of certified inputs. This ensures that PPG’s products reflect responsible sourcing throughout the manufacturing process and reinforces the company’s commitment to delivering high-performing, sustainably advantaged solutions to customers across Europe. “This certification supports our broader goal of integrating sustainability and productivity into our operations and our commitment to transparent manufacturing,” said Mats Hagerstrom, PPG head of sustainability, EMEA, Architectural Coatings. “It helps us deliver products that meet high performance standards while supporting our customers’ environmental objectives.” The certified s
FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola to Begin Global Journey Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026™16.12.2025 14:00:00 CET | Press release
Coca-Cola and FIFA celebrate 20 years of FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola The Coca-Cola Company and FIFA are kicking off the sixth FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola, giving thousands of fans across the globe the opportunity to see the original FIFA World Cup™ Trophy ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026™. FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be the biggest yet—spanning three host nations, Canada, Mexico and the United States, with more teams, more matches and more celebrations than ever before. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216393608/en/ FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola As a long-standing partner of FIFA, Coca-Cola has the exclusive rights to the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola. Beginning Jan. 3, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the original FIFA World Cup Trophy will visit 30 FIFA Member Associations across 75 stops and more than 150 tour days, giving fans around the world a once-in-a-lifeti
1GLOBAL Empowers Revolut to Offer Mobile Plans in Poland16.12.2025 13:04:00 CET | Press release
1GLOBAL, a technology-driven global mobile communications provider, strengthens its partnership with Revolut, expanding the leading neobank’s mobile data plan offering to the Polish market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216769985/en/ 1GLOBAL strengthens its partnership with Revolut, expanding the leading neobank’s mobile data plan offering to the Polish market. By integrating 1GLOBAL’s eSIM capability into its multi-service app, Revolut’s customers in Poland who signed up to the waitlist can now enjoy bundled mobile plans that include competitively priced domestic data plans starting at zł 25 per month (approx. €6.00 per month) with unlimited calls and texts in Poland and the EU, in just a few taps. For 1GLOBAL, this expansion marks another milestone in the company’s embedded telco services strategy. The services are trusted by more than 4,000 corporate partners across a variety of industries including fi
Dompé Doses First Patients in Europe and US in Phase 3 Studyof Isocyclosporin for Atopic Keratoconjunctivitis16.12.2025 13:00:00 CET | Press release
Atopic keratoconjunctivitis(AKC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the eye that is frequently associated with atopic conditions, and limited disease awareness often leads to delayed or missed diagnosis. Isocyclosporin is a novel, dual inhibitor oftwo critical immunepathways in ocular inflammation like AKC. Dompé, a leading biopharmaceutical company with operations in Italy and the U.S., announced the first patients have been enrolled in a Phase 3 study of Isocyclosporin for the treatment of atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC). Isocyclosporin is a dual inhibitor of transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channel, mucolipin subfamily, member 2 (TRPML2) and calcineurin, key regulators of immune and inflammatory response in chronic inflammatory eye diseases. The Phase 3 trial is a multicenter, randomized, double-masked study comparing isocyclosporin against vehicle control in improving ocular signs and symptoms after six weeks of treatment. “This milestone underscores Dompé’s commitment
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom