Friday, 20 January 2023
A new wrist device to help control Tourette’s Syndrome is a step closer to being commercialised after University of Nottingham spin-out company Neupulse raised almost £1m in additional funding.
Neupulse completed a second round of funding in December 2022 and raised £918,000 from existing investors and groups of High Net Worth individuals from around the world.
The investment will start the development of the commercially available wearable for use by individuals with Tourette’s Syndrome to stop tics.
This is an exciting time for the company as we move forward to the next stage of our development by starting to design the wearable that will bring choice to thousands of individuals that have Tourette’s Syndrome.
The spin-out company has used research from scientists from the University of Nottingham’s School of Psychologythat uses repetitive trains of stimulation to the median nerve (MNS) at the wrist to entrain rhythmic electrical brain activity - known as brain-oscillations - that are associated with the suppression of movements. They found that rhythmic MNS is sufficient to substantially reduce tic frequency and tic intensity, and the urge-to-tic, in individuals with TS.
Tourette’s Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is usually diagnosed between the ages of eight and 12. It causes involuntary sounds and movements called tics. Tics are involuntary, repetitive, stereotyped movements and vocalisations that occur in bouts, typically many times in a single day, and are often preceded by a strong urge-to-tic, referred to as a premonitory urge (PU).
We’re delighted to have secured the funding for the next phase of development. In addition to raising additional investment in the company, we have also successfully completed our double-blind sham-controlled clinical trial of the Neupulse device, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Neupulse device in reducing tics in Tourette syndrome. I very much look forward to developing the commercially available device.
Since being launched in March 2021 Neupulse has achieved several significant milestones including development of a prototype device for use in a trial that has just been completed, the results of this double blinded study are being analysed and are due to be published later this year. An App has is also being developed to support individuals in recording their tics.
For further information and to keep up to date on the progress of the device contact enquiries@neupulse.co.uk
Story credits
More information is available from Paul Cable on Paul.cable@neupulse.co.uk or Professor Stephen Jackson on Stephen.Jackson@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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