EPFL-spinoff GTX Medical taps into the US market

GTX medical, the EPFL spinoff founded in 2014, is a specialist in neurological stimulation. Based on several years of research at the EPFL’s Courtine Lab, the company developed an advanced neurostimulation therapy to help people with paraplegia (spinal cord injuries) to restore locomotion.

Today, GTX medical announced that it is merging with NeuroRecovery Technologies (NRT), a US-based company, developing a transcutaneous stimulation therapy to improve upper limb function after a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). The newly formed entity under the name GTX Medical BV, is set to become the leading global neurostimulation company to help patients with SCI.

The two companies will combine their collective scientific and technical expertise to develop «Targeted Epidural Spine Stimulation» (TESS), an implantable spinal cord stimulation system with real-time motion feedback. This system is in late-stage development and has already been shown to restore locomotion in a select number of patients with SCI. A second, non-invasive product offering, Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation (tSCS), is being developed to restore upper limb movement and hand function.

Funding secured
Alongside the merger, GTX medical’s shareholders have completed a joint fundraising round with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a North American nonprofit organization dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and improving quality of life for people living with paralysis.

“Neurostimulation represents the single biggest breakthrough ever in creating dramatic functional recovery in patients living with SCI. With the support of the Reeve Foundation, the first worldwide organization in SCI history will be established,” commented Jay Shepard, Board Member of NRT.

The new entity has taken steps to protect its intellectual property by renewing its license agreements with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Louisville (UofL). The new agreements come on top of its existing licensing deal with EPFL.

Organisational structure and partnerships
According to Sjaak Deckers, CEO of GTX Medical, there will be no reorganization due to the merger. He states, "GTX will retain its headquarters in Eindhoven (Netherlands) and the Swiss team of about 10 people, will remain in Lausanne at the EPFL Innovation Park and might even grow in the coming year. The company will, however, expand its team by establishing a new management team for the US market."

Regarding its partnership with the EPFL, GTX will continue to collaborate with the labs of Professor Courtine at EPFL. Furthermore, it will seek to build additional collaborations with several pioneering academic collaborators in the US and EU.

(Press release/ran)