Leading Venture Capital Fund, Fountain Healthcare invests in Neuromod Devices
DUBLIN, Ireland – Neuromod Devices Limited (Neuromod), an Irish medical device company specialising in the treatment of chronic tinnitus, announces that it has raised €5.5 million ($6.2million) in Series A Funding from international life sciences venture capital fund Fountain Healthcare Partners. The investment will be used to further enhance scientific and clinical understanding of its bi-modal neuromodulation device, mutebutton®, and commence US clinical trials of the device. The international launch of mutebutton® is targeted for 2018.
This investment by Fountain Healthcare marks a significant milestone for Neuromod and brings the total raised by the company to-date to over €8 million ($9 million). As part of the Series A financing, Dr Manus Rogan of Fountain Healthcare Partners will join the Board of Directors of Neuromod.
mutebutton®
Neuromod’s non-invasive mutebutton® device uses bi-modal neuromodulation via simultaneous auditory stimulation in the ear and sensory stimulation on the tongue to promote positive changes in neuroplasticity in parts of the brain implicated in tinnitus. Recent developments in international tinnitus research have uncovered many forms of tinnitus and bi-modal neuromodulation is emerging as one of the most promising therapies for certain forms of the condition. Neuromod has already generated promising clinical data with the mutebutton® in over 50 people suffering from chronic tinnitus thereby validating its approach. Results from this study are soon to be published in a peer reviewed journal.
Neuromod will use the proceeds from the investment to advance dose optimisation and patient sub-typing research, commence US clinical trials and promote its international adoption as the next generation treatment for chronic tinnitus. Neuromod received a medical device CE mark in Europe in October 2014 for the mutebutton® device and was granted a US Patent for its technology in September 2015.
Earlier this year Neuromod was recognised as the ‘Emerging Company of the Year’ at the Irish Medical Device Association (IMDA) Awards, by its medical device industry peers.
Tinnitus
About 250 million people worldwide experience chronic tinnitus on a daily basis. The condition manifests itself as an illusory sound with no external source or origin. Despite being commonly described as ‘ringing in the ears’, international research has shown that chronic tinnitus actually originates in the brain. In the US alone, there are an estimated 15 million people with clinically significant tinnitus, with 2 to 3 million people experiencing debilitating symptoms. Chronic tinnitus can have a severe impact on a patient’s quality of life, with documented secondary symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, headaches and depression, resulting in repeat visits to GP’s, ENT surgeons and Clinical Audiologists.
There are currently limited clinically validated treatments available in the market place for treating chronic tinnitus. Neuromod’s objective is to address this significant unmet medical need with its mutebutton® device.
Dr Ross O’Neill, Founding CEO of Neuromod commented, “Neuromod is delighted to announce this investment, which will help us to advance our unique chronic tinnitus treatment technology. As an emerging company we welcome the support and knowledge offered to us from partnering with an experienced international life sciences venture capital fund such as Fountain Healthcare Partners. We are also particularly grateful for the ongoing support we have received from our manufactuing partners, M&M Qualtech and Molex, and from Enterprise Ireland, which enable innovative Irish companies, like Neuromod, to grow and succeed on the international stage.”
Dr Manus Rogan, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Fountain Healthcare Partners added. "Neuromod is an exciting company, with the potential to offer a superior treatment to and improve the quality of life of the millions of patients suffering with chronic tinnitus. The company has a proprietary neuromodulation technology, promising clinical results and a highly committed team. Neuromodulation is a key area of interest for Fountain Healthcare and chronic tinnitus is a poorly served global market opportunity with relatively little competition. We are investing in Neuromod to help build a credible and sustainable business in tinnitus with prospects for strong future growth.” - ENDS –
About Neuromod
Neuromod, headquartered in NexusUCD Dublin, is an emerging medical device company, specialising in the design and development of neuromodulation technologies, to address the clinical needs of underserved patient populations who live with chronic and debilitating conditions such as tinnitus. The company was founded in 2010, by Dr. Ross O’Neill, as a spin-out from Maynooth University.
www.NeuromodDevices.com
About Fountain Healthcare Partners
Fountain Healthcare Partners is the largest dedicated life science venture capital fund in Ireland, with €176 million ($200 million) under management. Within the life science sector, specific areas of interest to Fountain include specialty pharma, medical devices, biotechnology and diagnostics. The firm deploys the majority of its capital in Europe, with the balance in the United States. Fountain’s main office is in Dublin, Ireland, with a second office in New York.
www.fh-partners.com
About mutebutton®
mutebutton® is a non-invasive, bi-modal neuromodulation based medical device that combines auditory and sensory stimulation to promote positive therapeutic changes in the parts of the brain implicated in tinnitus. The device simultaneously delivers sensory stimulation to the tongue via the tonguetip™ and auditory stimulation through headphones. The mutebutton® device was awarded European regulatory approval with a medical device CE mark in 2014, by the British Standards Institute (BSI), certifying the product's safety and clinical efficacy.
FTI Consulting | Media Relations
Jonathan Neilan
Melanie Farrell
Aoife Kelly
T: +353 1 6633686
neuromod@fticonsulting.com