Neurotech Device and NeuroPharma Execs Attend First Joint Leaders Forum

Staff report

About 90 neurotechnology and neuropharmaceutical industry executives and entrepreneurs attended the Ninth Annual Neurotech Leaders Forum in Newport Beach, CA earlier this month. For the first time, the event was held in conjunction with the NeuroInvestment Conference and featured parallel conference tracks on the morning of both days, one related to neurotechnology devices and the other to neuropharmaceuticals and cell therapies. The afternoon of both days featured plenary sessions relevant to both neurotech and neuropharma professionals.

The first day of the conference featured in-depth overview sessions led by NBR senior technical editor Warren Grill of Duke University, NeuroInvestment editor Harry Tracy, and NBR editor James Cavuoto. Those three editors plus NBR senior financial editor Glenn Cornett moderated an afternoon session devoted to neurological disorders called “Drug-Device Scorecard.” Adopting a baseball motif, the four panelists scored commercial hits, home runs, and strikeouts among pharmaceutical and device manufacturers in several disease markets, including chronic pain, epilepsy, movement disorders, stroke, and depression.

A clinician/consumer panel moderated by Neurotech Network executive director Jennifer French discussed many of the challenges confronting both clinicians and their patients. Greg Thompson, chief of social work at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, CA, reported that a majority of their new patients are now victims of violence, including gunshot and stabbing wounds. Most of these patients do not have medical insurance. Scott Brandt, an anesthesiologist and pain specialist, reported that while some of his patients could self pay for lower-cost treatments, new technologies such as spinal cord stimulators required reimbursement from insurers and that the amount of work involved with obtaining reimbursement was considerable.

Keynote speaker Robert Levy of Northwestern University gave attendees his views on the relationship between academic research and commercial neurotechnology firms, which are inextricably linked, he said. Much of Levy’s perspective was shaped by his experience as an investigator on Northstar Neuroscience’s EVEREST trial for cortical stimulation and stroke rehabilitation, a trial that he said failed not because of bad science but bad business practice. He also urged companies in the industry to be aware of ethical considerations such as not acquiring a technology solely for the purpose of keeping it off the market.

On the second day of the conference, Gerald Rogan, a reimbursement specialist and a formal carrier medical director for California Medicare Part B, related some of his experiences with neurological devices and post-payment review of Medicare claims. He gave several examples of fraud and waste in the system and offered his thoughts on the likely impact of forthcoming health care reform legislation. He advised attendees that comparative effectiveness studies would be something the industry will have to live with.

A panel discussion on advances in neurostimulator design feature presentations from Joseph Schulman of the Mann Medical Research Organization, Rob Sjostedt of Bal Seal Engineering, and Mikito Nagata from Quallion LLC. A panel discussion called “Closing the Loop with Neurosensing” featured presentations by Phil Kennedy of Neural Signals, Inc., Dan Chao of NeuroPace, and George Carpenter of CNS Response. Kennedy gave attendees an update on his speech prosthesis project, which endeavors to discern phoneme intention from speech areas of the brain via an implanted microelectrode. Neural Signals has established worldwide brain implantation centers which will share knowledge, experience, intellectual property, and other resources.

Executives from seven new and emerging neurotechnology and neuropharmaceutical firms made presentations during an entrepreneur panel on the second day. Panelists included Will Rosellini, CEO of MicroTransponder Inc., Paul Meadows, CTO of ImThera Medical, Ben Matteo, CEO of Eos Neuroscience, and Steven Stupp, CEO of TriGeminal Solutions, Inc., a personalized medicine company in San Carlos, CA developing a software system that records and analyzes triggers for migraine and other neurological disorders. Neuropharma firms presenting during the conference included EnVivo Pharmaceuticals, Neurogenetic Pharmaceuticals, and Afraxis.

In a session titled “What Went Wrong?” Cavuoto and Tracy offered anecdotes of failed neurotech and neuropharma ventures, clinical trials, and mergers, along with a post-mortem analysis. Companies mentioned included NeuroControl, NeuroMetrix, Cochlear, and Northstar Neuroscience.