Movement Disorders Diagnostic Technologies Inc. (MDDT), a London-based medical device company, has recently begun clinical trials for an innovative therapy for the treatment of Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s disease. This therapy is the first of its kind in the tremor medical field and the start of this trial marks a ground-breaking moment in the advancement of tremor treatment. This research was developed from the London Movement Disorder Centre at University Hospital, under the guidance of Dr. Mandar Jog, the director of the Movement Disorder Centre.
TremorTek is a non-invasive technology that analyzes biological changes during patient movements, as an alternative to visual assessments of tremors, which are extremely challenging to perform due to the complexity of limb and body movements. TremorTek is now being used in combination with a promising drug made by Merz Pharma to provide clinical guidance for doctors treating patients diagnosed with Essential Tremors and Parkinson’s disease whom otherwise would have minimal treatment options.
Tremor is a debilitating symptom that affects more than 10 million people worldwide. Tremor in the hands and arms make it difficult to do daily tasks including drinking, eating, writing, and typing. There is no definitive cure and patients are undertreated with current therapies. “Physicians need better tools to assess tremor severity and track patient progress, and TremorTek presents a promising solution with its ability to analyze biological mechanisms associated with patient movements. We are determined to accelerate the commercialization of this technology and help bring tremor treatment to the next level,” said Jack Lee, who secured OBI-OCE funding as an OBI Entrepreneur from the class of 2013.
In addition to the tremor clinical research done in London, new Essential Tremor clinical sites in collaboration with Merz Pharma have started which include movement disorder neurologists Dr. Boulias and Dr. Ismail, Toronto and Dr. King, Halifax. Two other clinical trial sites will be activated later this year with Dr. Hobson in Winnipeg and Dr. Chen at Toronto Western, who has said “this is an exciting new way to treat tremor.” Sites in the USA are expected to begin in 2015.
MDDT’s multi-site clinical trial is online and more information relating to the trial can be found on http://clinicaltrials.gov/ under the clinical trial number: NCT02207946.
About MDDT Inc.
Movement Disorders Diagnostic Technologies Inc. is a medical device company dedicated to improving lives of individuals suffering from movement disorders. The technologies being commercialized were developed from the researchers at the Movement Disorders Centre in London, Ontario. MDDT is supported by MaRS Discovery District, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Ontario Brain Institute and TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario.
