LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuroSigma, Inc., today announced conditional approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of its Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application to commence a Phase III pivotal trial of the Monarch™ eTNS™ System for treatment of drug resistant epilepsy.  The Company is planning to conduct a multi-center trial at leading medical institutions in the U.S., Europe and Canada.  The objective of the study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the device and provide the basis for a Pre‐Market Approval (PMA) application to the FDA.

In earlier Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials of external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS), over 40% of patients treated showed a 50% or greater reduction in seizures.  "We are eager to take this next key step in the regulatory approval process of eTNS in the United States," said Leon Ekchian, Ph.D., President and CEO of NeuroSigma.  "We believe a safe, non-invasive and affordable alternative to pharmaceuticals and invasive treatments is urgently needed by the 50-million people with epilepsy worldwide."

The Monarch eTNS System is currently available with a physician's prescription in the European Union and Canada as adjunctive treatment of epilepsy and depression, for adults and children 9 years and older.

About TNS and The Monarch eTNS System

The Monarch eTNS System is composed of an external electric pulse generator and an electric patch, which is attached to a patient's forehead to safely stimulate branches of the trigeminal nerve through the skin.  The electric patch needs to be replaced daily for effective therapy and can be worn primarily in the evening while asleep.  In clinical trials, eTNS has been well tolerated and found to substantially reduce seizures in patients with epilepsy and reduce symptom severity in patients with depression, PTSD and ADHD.  For more information on the Monarch eTNS System, please visit the Monarch website.

The trigeminal nerve is the largest cranial nerve, offering a high-bandwidth pathway for signals to enter the brain.  The trigeminal nerve projects to specific areas of the brain, such as the locus coeruleus, nucleus tractus solitarius, thalamus and the cerebral cortex, which are involved in epilepsy, depression, PTSD, ADHD and other disorders. 

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (TNS) is the electrical stimulation of branches of the trigeminal nerve, which are located very close to the surface of the face.  The low-energy stimulus is confined to the soft tissues of the face without direct penetration into the brain.  PET imaging studies in humans confirm that eTNS alters the activity in key regions implicated in these disorders and the changes were observed within minutes of therapy.

NeuroSigma is the exclusive worldwide licensee of UCLA's entire TNS intellectual property portfolio and continues to develop additional technologies and target additional indications.

CAUTION: In the United States, both eTNS™ and sTNS™ are investigational devices and are limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use.

eTNS, sTNS, Monarch, and Monarch eTNS are trademarks of NeuroSigma, Inc.

About NeuroSigma, Inc.

NeuroSigma is a Los Angeles-based medical device company established to develop early stage technologies with the potential to transform medical practice and patients' lives.  Currently, NeuroSigma is focused on neuromodulation therapies and has amassed significant intellectual property licensed on an exclusive basis from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), including TNS therapies for epilepsy, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Please visit www.neurosigma.com for more corporate information and www.monarch-etns.com for more information on the Monarch eTNS System.

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement:
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, research and development outcomes, efficacy, adverse reactions, market and product potential, product availability and other statements regarding our eTNS™ and sTNS™ systems.  These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, general industry and medical device market conditions; technological advances and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in the research and development and regulatory processes; challenges related to new product marketing, such as the unpredictability of market acceptance for new medical device products; inconsistency of treatment results among patients; potential difficulties in manufacturing a new product; general economic conditions; and governmental laws and regulations affecting domestic and foreign operations.

SOURCE NeuroSigma, Inc.