Boston Scientific said last week its surgical treatment of Parkinson’s disease has been found to improve motor scores and decrease medication usage.
The Natick-based company said a trial conducted one year after 40 European patients began treatment with the Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System found a 62 percent improvement in motor scores and a 58 percent reduction in medication usage.
“We are pleased to see not only a highly significant improvement in motor function over the long term, but also a highly significant improvement in overall quality of life,” said Dr. Francois Alesch, a principal investigator for the trial.
DBS is a surgical treatment that involves placing a device that stimulates certain areas of the brain using electrical signals, the company said. It’s typically used to treat people with advanced Parkinson’s whose symptoms are no longer controlled by medication.
Boston Scientific said Vercise is the only DBS platform with a 25-year battery life, meaning patients can avoid having battery replacement surgery every few years.
Vercise is available for sale in Europe, Israel, Australia and select Latin American countries. Enrollment in U.S. clinical trials began in mid-2013, Boston Scientific said, but the product still isn’t available for use or sale here.
