EKOS receives $2.7M grant to develop product for treatment of ICH

EKOS Corporation announced today that they received a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the development of a product to provide therapy for intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke (ICH).

“The NIH award allows EKOS to optimize our technology in a product specifically designed for this critically unmet area of medicine. The findings from the SLEUTH study clearly show the promise of increased survival and improved outcomes with EKOS technology”

ICH is a devastating form of stroke crippling more than 100,000 Americans each year with high mortality and costs. The financial burden of ICH is approximately $125,000 per ICH patient per year resulting in an overall annual cost of $6 billion for ICH patients in the United States.

ICH is fatal in approximately 50% of all occurrences and the majority of survivors have significant motor and cognitive disability. In 40% of ICH cases, ICH bleeding extends into the brain cavities (ventricles) causing Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) increasing mortality to 80%. There are currently no good medical therapies for either ICH or IVH.

Data from a recent study known as Safety of lysis with EKOS ultrasound in the treatment of ICH and IVH (SLEUTH) headed by principal investigator, Dr. David Newell, co-executive director, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, (Seattle, WA) was presented at the 2010 American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference in San Antonio. Newell said, "EKOS innovative and minimally invasive technology combines local delivery of tissue Plasminogen Activator (rt-PA) with ultrasound enhancement that results in effective blood clot removal. There is no doubt the results of this study shows the potential for the EKOS ultrasound as a minimally invasive treatment option….". View press conference with Dr. Newell here. View patient's accounting of his life-threatening experience here. View ultrasound therapy animation here.

EKOS President/CEO Robert W. Hubert said, "The NIH award allows EKOS to optimize our technology in a product specifically designed for this critically unmet area of medicine. The findings from the SLEUTH study clearly show the promise of increased survival and improved outcomes with EKOS technology"

SOURCE EKOS Corporation