Nia Therapeutics receives $1M subcontract from US Army to complete development of the Smart Neurostimulation System
Radnor, PA — May 27, 2021
Nia Therapeutics, Inc. (“Nia”), developer of implantable brain stimulation technology to improve memory function, entered a $1M cooperative agreement with the University of Pennsylvania, sponsored by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command and awarded through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium to complete development of its flagship Smart Neurostimulation System over the next 10 months.
Over ten million Americans live with memory impairment resulting from a brain injury or neurodegenerative disease. Nia Therapeutics is developing the Smart Neurostimulation System (SNS) to treat these patients. The SNS is an implantable, closed-loop neurostimulation system, powered by artificial intelligence, which senses the brain activity related to memory and stimulates the brain using gentle pulses of electricity to restore good memory function.
“We have already prototyped the core components of the Nia Smart Neurostimulation System,” said Dan Rizzuto, PhD, Nia’s CEO. “This funding from the U.S. Army will allow us to finalize the design of the system in 2021 and position us to begin preclinical testing in 2022.”
Nia’s project is part of a larger collaborative effort with the University of Pennsylvania and five other major medical centers aimed at evaluating the chronic effects of closed-loop stimulation on memory and physiology in patients with both TBI and epilepsy. “These studies will lead to be deeper understanding of how neurostimulation affects memory and its biomarkers, especially under conditions designed to more closely mimic those in real-world therapeutic applications”, said Michael Kahana, PhD, Professor of Psychology at Penn and co-founder of Nia Therapeutics.
“Memory loss is one of the primary complaints of patients living with consequences moderate to severe traumatic brain injury,” said Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, MD PhD, Presidential Professor of Neurology and Director of the TBI Clinical Research Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. “Nia’s therapy has the potential to meaningfully improve the lives of these patients.”
Rizzuto continued, “Patients living with memory loss due to traumatic brain injury currently have limited options available to them. Nia is developing the Smart Neurostimulation System to bring hope to these patients.” Andrew Midzak, PhD, Program Manager at USAMRDC agreed: “Traumatic brain injury has a number of challenges for those it afflicts, among which memory loss and decrements to memory consolidation are among the most difficult. We value our partnerships in this area, as together we are able to help our Service members and civilians fully recover and live their best life”.
The views expressed in this news release/article are those of the authors and may not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
About Nia Therapeutics
Nia Therapeutics is developing first-in-class therapeutic devices to restore memory function in patients with memory impairment. The company’s proprietary neurotechnology platform interprets the complex brain activity related to memory and develops a personalized therapy for each patient. Nia’s technology has been shown to improve memory by stimulating the brain activity associated with good memory function. Nia’s Smart Neurostimulation System represents the next generation of brain stimulation devices: smart, connected, and powered by artificial intelligence. Nia’s near-term focus is on restoring memory function in patients with memory impairment due to traumatic brain injury. US Headquarters are in Radnor, PA. For more information, visit http://niatherapeutics.com
About the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
The U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command is the Army’s medical materiel developer, with responsibility for medical research, development, and acquisition. USAMRDC produces medical solutions for the battlefield with a focus on various areas of biomedical research, including military infectious diseases, combat casualty care, military operational medicine, medical chemical and biological defense, and clinical and rehabilitative medicine. https://mrdc.amedd.army.mil/
About MTEC
MTEC is a biomedical technology consortium collaborating with multiple government agencies under a 10-year renewable Other Transactional Agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. MTEC is managed by Advanced Technology International. To find out more about MTEC, visit http://mtec-sc.org
