Medtronic Intellis, Vanta SCS Approved for Painful Diabetic Neuropathy

Medtronic received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Intellis and Vanta neurostimulators to treat chronic pain arising from diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).
 
DPN happens when high blood sugar damages nerves—most often in the legs and feet—causing numbness, burning, or stabbing pain.
 
The new indication offers patients access to Medtronic’s spinal cord stimulation (SCS) portfolio of rechargeable and recharge-free devices, which include multiple programming options to personalize therapy.
 
“DPN is a significant challenge for patients with diabetes, leading to disability and a diminished quality of life,” Charlie Covert, vice president and general manager, Pain Therapies told the press. “This new indication enables us to apply Medtronic’s more than 40 years of proven SCS experience, as well as the company’s deep diabetes expertise, to deliver better care to even greater numbers of diabetes patients.”
 
Medtronic estimates up to 800,000 U.S. patients suffer from moderate to severe DPN symptoms left unresolved through drug therapies.