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
Interactive Brokers’ Individual and Hedge Fund Clients Outperformed the S&P 500 on Average in 20252.1.2026 16:00:00 CET | Press release
Lower costs, global market access, and efficient execution contributed to stronger client outcomes. Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR), an automated global electronic broker, today announced that its clients outperformed the S&P 500 Index in 2025, reflecting the benefits of cost efficiency, execution quality, and broad access to global markets. In 2025, Interactive Brokers’ individual clients achieved an average return of 19.20%, compared with the 17.9% return of the S&P 500 Index. During the same period, Interactive Brokers’ hedge fund clients achieved an average return of 28.91%, outperforming the index by approximately 11 percentage points. These results demonstrate how Interactive Brokers helps enhance client returns across the investment lifecycle. Global market access enables clients to allocate capital across various regions and asset classes, while lower trading and financing costs, along with efficient execution, help IBKR investors retain more of their returns over time. “Inv
Aeromexico Repeats as Most On-Time Global Airline; Qatar Airways Claims Platinum Award2.1.2026 11:00:00 CET | Press release
Virgin Atlantic wins new award as most improved airline for on-time performance Aeromexico maintained a 90.02% on-time performance to claim the world's most on-time global airline title for the second consecutive year, according to Cirium's 2025 On-Time Performance Review released today. The Mexican carrier becomes only the second airline to achieve consecutive global wins since Cirium launched the program in 2009, operating 188,859 flights across 23 countries while maintaining industry-leading schedule reliability. Aeromexico Holds Global Lead; Regional Champions Crowned Aeromexico secured the global airline title with 90.02% on-time performance, holding off strong competition from Saudia in second place with 86.53% and SAS with 86.09% in third. The margin between first and third place was 3.93 percentage points, reflecting the strong performance of Aeromexico in 2025. Regional winners included: North America: Delta Air Lines won for the fifth consecutive year with 80.90% on-time perf
Samsung Bioepis Begins Commercialization of BYOOVIZ®, Biosimilar to Lucentis (Ranibizumab), in Europe2.1.2026 08:00:00 CET | Press release
Samsung Bioepis completes full transfer of commercial rights from Biogen back to Samsung Bioepis for BYOOVIZ®BYOOVIZ becomes the fourth biosimilar directly commercialized by Samsung Bioepis in Europe, following EPYSQLI® (eculizumab), OBODENCE® (denosumab), and XBRYK® (denosumab)Pre-filled syringe (PFS) presentation to become available in Europe in the second quarter of 2026 Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. today announced that the company has begun direct commercialization of BYOOVIZ®, a biosimilar to Lucentis1 (ranibizumab), in Europe. Samsung Bioepis has been working to ensure seamless transfer of commercial rights from Biogen back to Samsung Bioepis, and BYOOVIZ will now be available as a Samsung Bioepis brand across multiple European countries. “This is a significant milestone for Samsung Bioepis as the company continues to strengthen its presence in Europe by expanding its portfolio of directly commercialized products. Leveraging the past three years of experience with EPYSQLI (eculizuma
Cessna Citation Ascend Enters Into Service, Redefining Performance and Cabin Experience in the Midsize Business Jet Market31.12.2025 15:00:00 CET | Press release
The Cessna Citation Ascend achieved a major milestone as the first retail customer took delivery of the midsize business jet on Tuesday, December 30, marking the aircraft’s entry into service. Announced in 2023 the aircraft boasts an entirely new cockpit, improved performance and a luxurious flat floor cabin. The Citation Ascend received type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in November 2025. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251231586042/en/ Cessna Citation Ascend enters into service, redefining performance and cabin experience in the midsize business jet market. (Photo credit: Textron Aviation) The Cessna Citation Ascend is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company. “The first Citation Ascend delivery underscores Textron Aviation’s commitment to redefining the midsize segment with an aircraft that blends innovation, efficiency and unmatch
Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2026 Worth $250,000 Extends Deadline Till 11th January 202631.12.2025 14:08:00 CET | Press release
Due to an extraordinary global response of over 134,000 registrations from 214 countries, the submission deadline has been extended.Nurses worldwide can submit their nominations via www.asterguardians.com The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2026, an initiative from Aster DM Healthcare – a leading integrated healthcare provider, has announced the extension of its deadline to January 11, 2026. The awards have already received over 134,000 registrations from 214 countries, highlighting its growing global reach and recognition among nurses worldwide. Nurses from around the world can submit their nominations through the dedicated platform at www.asterguardians.com. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251231986766/en/ Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award worth USD 250,000 (Photo: AETOSWire) This year, the prestigious award will be hosted in New Delhi, India, celebrating nursing excellence on a truly global stage. T
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