China’s National Medical Products Administration announced on March 13 that it has granted approval to Neuracle Technology (Shanghai) Co. to sell a brain implant for adult patients partially paralyzed due to spinal cord injury, Reuters reports. This marks the world’s first approval for commercial use of such a device.
The device is approved for use in patients aged 18 to 60 who received a paralysis diagnosis at least one year ago and have been in stable condition for six months following treatment.
According to clinical trial results, the device improves patients’ ability to hold and grasp objects with their hands. China’s medical regulator noted that devices like this approved one represent “the future of the industry.”
In China, the technology could be implemented into clinical practice within three to five years, experts believe.
Earlier, GxP News reported that Japan became the world’s first country to approve a cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease.
