Motility Medical has begun human trials for its prototype neuromodulation device designed to help treat people with chronic constipation (most significantly, neurogenic bowel resulting from a spinal cord injury) by interfacing with nerves and muscles to facilitate bowel activity without the use of oral pharmaceuticals.

“Over 63 million Americans experience chronic constipation, and more than half are women. However, the average prevalence of constipation is 30% among people living with neurogenic bowel dysfunction, but with spinal cord injury, it increases to 95% prevalence.”

— Motility Medical co-founder and CEO Jennifer French, who lives with spinal cord injury resulting from a snowboarding accident. She is a silver medalist at the London Paralympics in 2012.

Dr. Amol Soin, CEO of Soin Neuroscience Inc, with assistance from the Motility Medical team, developed the prototype device in his Dayton, OH, research facility at SNI. Dr Soin is also a cofounder of Motility Medical and the current principal investigator of the ongoing clinical trial, according to a media release from Soin Neuroscience.

“The results thus far have been excellent. We have been able to see a trend toward restoration of normal bowel function in all of our tested participants. This novel therapy has never been done before and potentially changes the paradigm in how we treat chronic constipation, as well as neurogenic bowel dysfunction due to spinal cord injury.”

— Dr Amol Soin

Result from One of the First Trial Participants

One of the first study participants — named Teresa, from Dayton, OH — is one of Soin’s longtime patients. She experienced a spinal cord injury (and neurogenic bowel dysfunction) after a head-on car collision, which left her paralyzed from the middle of her back down to her feet. After testing the device in the clinical trial, Teresa had a successful bowl movement on her own, according to the release.

“This device will give me my life and dignity back. Something like this will be so impactful to my quality of life,” she says.

“Our next steps are to continue with human testing of spinal cord injury patients and others who suffer from chronic constipation, to get more data, refine the algorithm, and eventually obtain FDA clearance.”

— Jennifer French

[Source(s): Soin Neuroscience, PR Newswire]