Inspire Medical Systems, a developer of implantable neurostimulation technologies, said the STAR trial (Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction) is currently underway at 9 medical centers across the US and at 4 sites in Europe.
The STAR trial is a multi-center clinical trial which will assess the safety and effectiveness of Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) therapy in patients who suffer from moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Inspire UAS therapy, which works with the body’s natural physiology to prevent airway obstruction during sleep, was developed by Inspire using technologies from the fields of cardiac pacing and neurostimulation.
The company claims in contrast to other surgical procedures to treat OSA, Inspire therapy does not require removing or permanently altering a patient’s facial or airway anatomy.
Sleep Medicine Associates of Texas, under the guidience of Andrew Jamieson, completed their first implant of Inspire therapy in the STAR trial.
Inspire Medical Systems CEO Tim Herbert said data from the feasibility studies suggest that Inspire therapy reduces the burden of OSA in well selected patients.