Upcoming EventsNyack, N.Y. August 14, 2023 – Montefiore Nyack Hospital is pleased to announce that The Madlyn Borelli MS Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital, in partnership with Montefiore Medical Center and Burke Rehabilitation, offers patients with multiple sclerosis an opportunity to participate in a clinical trial that will test the real-world efficacy of the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS). This device is a novel physical therapy intervention for improving walking, balance and gait deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Developed by Helius Medical Technologies, Inc., a neurotech company focused on delivering a novel therapy, Montefiore was one of several Centers of Excellence to join the PoNS Therapeutic Experience Program (“PoNSTEP”) to introduce and advance this novel therapy in the United States. Montefiore’s participation in the study will be held at the Burke Rehabilitation Center in White Plains, NY, and led by Dr. Christopher Langston, medical director of The Madlyn Borelli Multiple Sclerosis Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital in Nyack, NY.
“The MS patients we treat are often in the prime of their lives. It’s important to understand all MS treatments available in order to guide our patients in choosing their best path. We strive to help them navigate their illness by exposing them to innovative therapies as well as giving them the opportunity to participate in advanced clinical trials. I’ve been an early adopter of PoNS Therapy to help my patients improve their gait and I'm excited to join the study,” says Dr. Langston.
The Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) therapy is an innovative orally applied, non-implantable medical device, with a controller and mouthpiece, which delivers mild electrical stimulation to the surface of the tongue. The device is used primarily at home in combination with physical rehabilitation exercises, to improve balance and gait. The PoNS device is a short-term treatment of gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms from MS and is to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients 22 years of age and over by prescription only.
“Dr. Langston is a renowned clinical researcher of current and advanced topics in MS management and patient-centered care. His interest in PoNS Therapy has led him to be one of the first PoNS prescribers and his growing experience with this therapy, along with a long-standing commitment to improving MS patients’ condition, makes him a remarkable contributor to the PoNSTEP study,” said Antonella Favit-Van Pelt, M.D., Ph.D., Helius’ Chief Medical Officer.
The study will rate the patients’ adherence to PoNS therapy, which combines the PoNS device with physical therapy, to better understand the relationship between adherence to the treatment regimen and therapeutic functional outcomes. The study is currently undertaken at six sites and aims to recruit up to seven or eight Centers of Excellence across the United States, with the potential of enrolling five to ten subjects per site. Enrollment began in the fourth quarter of 2022 and will continue throughout 2023. A total of fifty to sixty patients with MS are expected to take part in the program. For more information, visit www.ponstherapy.com.
About The Madlyn Borelli Multiple Sclerosis Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital
The Madlyn Borelli Multiple Sclerosis Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital provides comprehensive care for people with MS. Affiliated with Montefiore Einstein, the center offers a full array of diagnostic and treatment services under the direction of medical director Christopher Langston, MD, a fellowship-trained neurologist.
The Madlyn Borelli Multiple Sclerosis Center is a designated Comprehensive Center for MS Care through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Partners in MS Care program. In addition to diagnosis and treatment, the MS Center provides rehabilitation services, including physical and occupational therapy as well as support and educational programs for patients and their families.
About Montefiore Medical Center
As the academic medical center and University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center is nationally recognized for clinical excellence—breaking new ground in research, training the next generation of healthcare leaders, and delivering science-driven, patient-centered care.
Montefiore is ranked among the top hospitals nationally and regionally by U.S. News & World Report. For more than 100 years, Montefiore has been innovating new treatments, new procedures, and new approaches to patient care, producing stellar outcomes and raising the bar for medical centers in the region and around the world. Montefiore continues to advance the practice of medicine and sets the standard for excellence.
About Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.
Helius Medical Technologies is a leading neurotech company in the medical device field focused on neurologic deficits using non-implantable platform technologies that amplify the brain’s ability to compensate and promote neuroplasticity, aiming to improve the lives of people dealing with neurologic diseases. The Company’s first commercial product is the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS). For more information, visit www.heliusmedical.com.
