ONWARD Medical N.V., the neurotechnology company pioneering spinal cord stimulation therapies to restore movement, function, and independence, announces the first implant in the EIGER clinical feasibility study evaluating the investigational ARC-IM^® System for restoring mobility in people with subacute or chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).

The EIGER study is a new clinical feasibility study designed to assess the safety and preliminary effectiveness of the ARC-IM System to support and promote recovery of standing and walking after spinal cord injury. The study will enroll up to 12 participants across two cohorts: individuals with subacute SCI who sustained an injury less than six weeks before enrollment, and individuals with chronic SCI who sustained an injury more than one year before enrollment. The study is being conducted in Switzerland at the Schweizer Paraplegiker-Zentrum (SPZ) in Nottwil and at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne. The first procedure was performed at CHUV under the direction of Jocelyne Bloch, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery at CHUV. EIGER is supported by a grant from Innosuisse.

“The EIGER study is an important next step in our drive to restore mobility after spinal cord injury," said Dave Marver, CEO of ONWARD Medical. "We intend for this study to inform the design of a pivotal study that will enable us to bring this important new therapy to market for the benefit of those with SCI and other movement disabilities.”

The Company’s ARC-IM System comprises the implanted ONWARD Neurostimulator (IPG) and the ARC-IM Lumbar Lead, designed to precisely activate spinal circuits involved in lower-limb and trunk movement to facilitate the recovery of motor function after SCI.

The Company is developing the ARC-IM platform across multiple indications in SCI and adjacent movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease. The ARC-IM System is currently being evaluated in the Empower BP global pivotal study for its initial indication to address blood pressure instability after SCI. To be kept informed about ONWARD’s technologies, research studies, and the availability of therapies in your area