Helius Medical Launches PoNS to Help MS Patients’ Walking Ability

Neurological wellness company Helius Medical Technologies launched its breakthrough Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) to help multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who struggle to walk.
 
PoNS earned U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance last year for short-term treatment of gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate MS symptoms. Helius also gained FDA breakthrough status for PoNS to treat dynamic gait and balance deficits resulting from a stroke and is advancing the registrational program to develop PoNS therapy for marketing authorization with an indication in stroke.
 
“We believe that we are unlocking the full potential of neuromodulation and neuroplasticity to help MS patients walk more steadily and safely,” Antonella Favit-Van Pelt, MD, Ph.D., Helius’s chief medical officer told the press. “Approximately 40 percent of individuals with MS will need walking assistance within 15 years of the onset of the disease. PoNS therapy provides a unique opportunity for these patients to improve gait functionality and mobility”
 
Consisting of a controller and mouthpiece with gold-plated electrodes, the portable, non-implantable PoNS device delivers neurostimulation to the tongue. The controller goes around the neck and the mouthpiece rests on the front of the tongue with electrodes facing the tongue. The electrical impulses stimulate two cranial nerves with direct brain connections through the brainstem. When combined with physical activity, PoNS sets off a cascade of brain activity that causes consolidated neuroplastic changes and therapeutic functional outcomes to improve MS patients’ gait deficit.
 
The controller can be connected to a computer to view PoNS usage via Helius’ proprietary software.