ReShape Lifesciences has received a $241,000 grant from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop electrodes for its Diabetes Bloc-Stim Neuromodulation (DBSN) device for treating type 2 diabetes (T2D).
The NIH is providing the supplementary award in collaboration with the University of Southern California’s Center for Autonomic Nerve Recording and Stimulation Systems (CARSS).
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The latest grant will aid in carrying out minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical electrode implantation approaches to enhance the effectiveness of delivering DBSN signals and long-term safety and blood glucose modulation studies in a porcine diabetes model.
Leveraging the vagus nerve block (vBloc) technology platform, the DBSN device can offer bio-electronic neuromodulation of branches of the vagus nerve.
These branches are innervate organs that are said to regulate plasma glucose levels, for the treatment of T2D, commonly associated with obesity.
The system operates by stimulating the vagus celiac fibres of the pancreas to promote insulin release during stimulation, while concurrently blocking the hepatic vagal branch to the liver, aiming to reduce glucose release and decrease insulin resistance.
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By GlobalDataReShape recently signed an asset purchase agreement with Biorad Medisys for the sale of some of its assets, including the DBSN system for $5.16m, excluding cash.
Post-transaction, Biorad Medisys will own the DBSN system.
ReShape Lifesciences Research director Jonathan Waataja said: “This non-dilutive supplemental grant, awarded over the course of one year will fund studies to test the safety and efficacy of the next-generation electrodes, which can potentially double the nerve contact area to increase the effectiveness of delivering DBSN signals while reducing power consumption.
“We look forward to collaborating with CARSS to further the development of the novel DBSN device as a potential treatment for diabetes and hypoglycaemia.”
