RxFunction Presents Preliminary Results from walk2Wellness Clinical Trial at AAN 2020 and PNS 2020
Eden Prairie, Minnesota. (July 9th, 2020). Lars Oddsson, Ph.D., co-inventor of Walkasins® and Chief Technology Officer of RxFunction, Inc. has shared preliminary data from the walk2Wellness clinical trial at two neurology scientific conferences that were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The walk2Wellness trial investigates long-term effects on clinical outcomes of gait and balance function of wearing Walkasins, a lower limb sensory neuroprosthesis, in peripheral neuropathy patients at high risk of falling. The study involves five leading U.S. medical centers and evaluates Walkasins impact on patients for up to one year. More information about the trial can be found here.
“I am thrilled we had the opportunity to share our exciting data with these important organizations! The virtual format worked out better than I had expected,” Oddsson says.
The AAN, the American Academy of Neurology, is the leading neurology scientific organization worldwide and represents more than 36,000 neurologists and neuroscientists. Its annual meeting is typically attended by more than 15,000 attendees from all over the world. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Annual Meeting was held virtually and was open to AAN members as well as non-members.
Dr. Oddsson presented “A Wearable Sensory Neuroprosthesis to Improve Gait and Balance Function in Persons with Sensory Peripheral Neuropathy – the walk2Wellness Trial” to the AAN community. His recorded presentation can be found under “AAN 2020 Science Highlights Presentations” and is available here.
The Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS) is an international organization of scientists, physicians, and other healthcare providers with a focus on diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Its mission is to “improve the lives of people with peripheral neuropathies throughout the world”.
At the PNS 2020 Virtual Event, Oddsson presented: “Walk2Wellness Clinical Trial Update – A Wearable Sensory Neuroprosthesis To Replace Nerve Function for Plantar Sensation”. A copy of the slides presented can be found here.
“It is very important for us to share our research findings with the broader neurology community,” says Tom Morizio, CEO of RxFunction. “They are an important clinical stakeholder who diagnose and treat patients suffering with peripheral neuropathy, and they may be seeking a new falls intervention, such as Walkasins, to help their patients with gait and balance impairment,” Morizio continues.
The COVID-19 epidemic has drastically challenged the execution of many clinical trials across the world. “We are fortunate to have a complete data set of 45 participants who have reached our primary endpoint at 10 weeks of device use before COVID-19 halted in-clinic testing and new enrollment.” Oddsson says. “In fact, we see clinically meaningful improvements in our outcomes that support our initial hypothesis and that may allow us to end the trial earlier,” Oddsson continues.
Walkasins® is an external lower limb sensory prosthesis intended to replace the nerve function used for detection and signaling of foot pressure sensation. The company developed Walkasins to help improve balance in patients who experience gait and mobility problems due to sensory peripheral neuropathy, a disorder where the nerves in the feet are damaged causing numbness. Walkasins are available by prescription following evaluation by a trained clinician. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 20 million Americans have some form of peripheral neuropathy, commonly a consequence of diabetes and chemotherapy, and widely present in the elderly population. To learn more about Walkasins, including about risks associated with using Walkasins, visit www.rxfunction.com.
About RxFunction, Inc.
RxFunction™ is a medical device company with a mission to design and market medical technologies that restore balance, increase mobility, and enhance confidence for patients at risk of falling. Privately held and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, RxFunction created the Walkasins® lower limb sensory prosthesis, building upon patented technology developed by co-founder and scientist Lars Oddsson, PhD. Development of Walkasins was supported by Small Business Innovation Research grants from the National Institutes of Health (AG040865) and the product is manufactured in Minnesota.
© 2020 RxFunction, Inc. All Rights Reserved. AP-10137v0 0720. Walkasins® and RxFunction™ are trademarks of RxFunction, Inc.
