Boston Scientific receives safety approval for deep brain stimulation product

Medical manufacturer Boston Scientific has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation System, a device engineered to customise therapy for people living with Parkinson’s.

The approval was based on the INTREPID study, a test that evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the system on 292 people with Parkinson’s.

The first commercial implant is scheduled to take place at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, US, by a team of faculty professionals.

Dr Jerrold Vitek, professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota, said: “The Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation System changes the landscape of what physicians can do to help improve the quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

“This system provides an ability to sculpt the current field in the deep brain stimulation target using novel technology that offers flexibility in programming.”