St. Jude Medical receives approval of first extended-life primary cell neurostimulator for treatment of chronic pain

St. Jude Medical, Inc. has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European CE Mark approvals of EonC, the first extended-life primary cell (non-rechargeable) neurostimulator for the treatment of chronic pain.

The EonC neurostimulator provides a convenient option for chronic pain patients who prefer or require the simplicity of a non-rechargeable medical device. Featuring the greatest battery capacity of any primary cell neurostimulator, the EonC may maximize the time between device replacement procedures.

"Selecting the right system for each patient is vital for the success of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy," said Chris Chavez, president of the St. Jude Medical ANS Division. "With chronic pain, there's no such thing as a 'one size fits all' approach. For some patients, a non-rechargeable device like EonC provides the perfect solution for their needs."

The EonC system's patient benefits include:

• Proprietary technology (called NeuroDynamix) which helps deliver stimulation with greater efficiency
• Advanced programming capability which allows patients to adjust therapy strength in up to eight pain areas simultaneously and independently
• Constant current circuitry which automatically adjusts power output to deliver consistent therapy over time
• High power and high pulse frequencies which enable clinicians to adjust the therapy to accommodate individual patient needs

EonC is the only 16-contact, constant current, non-rechargeable system for SCS therapy. With the addition of EonC to its product portfolio, ANS now provides an even more comprehensive line of SCS devices to meet the needs of chronic pain patients. The new device complements Eon®, a high-capacity, rechargeable device, and Eon Mini, the world's smallest, longest-lasting rechargeable neurostimulator.

Neurostimulators like EonC are designed to provide SCS therapy to treat complex neuropathic pain of the trunk and limbs or pain from failed back surgeries. Similar in function and appearance to cardiac pacemakers, these devices deliver mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord, interrupting or masking the pain signals' transmission to the brain. More than 35,000 patients in 35 countries have been implanted with St. Jude Medical neurostimulation systems. Patients can obtain more information about neurostimulation pain therapies at www.PowerOverYourPain.com.

Pain is a serious and costly public health issue, and it remains largely under-treated and misunderstood. According to the National Institutes of Health, 90 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic pain. The American Pain Foundation estimates that chronic pain costs approximately $100 billion per year in lost work time and health care expenses.