Apnex Medical announced preliminary data from an Australian first-in-man study has revealed substantial improvements in sleep for people experiencing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The sleep disorder affects nearly 100 million people across the globe. It is characterized with the failure of the airway muscles to keep the airway open during sleep.

The device developed by St Paul-based company, called the Apnex HGNS System is designed to activate the upper airway muscle during sleep, thus opening the airway, and subsequently enabling the patient to breathe and stay asleep.

Peter Eastwood, PhD, Senior Research Fellow at the West Australian Sleep Disorders Research Institute, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Professor at the School of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, who is also a researcher of this study says, These results demonstrate the potential benefits the HGNS System could provide to patients who do not tolerate continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

In most patients, the Apnex HGNS System reduced the severity of their OSA condition, allowing them to sleep better and feel better.

The three- and six-month results from the Australian first-in-man study showed the HGNS System cut down the severity of the obstructive sleep apnea by an average of over 50 per cent, as calculated by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) - number of times per hour during sleep, the patient experiences restriction in breathing.

Medicine