MARLBOROUGH, Mass., September 2, 2021 – Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) today announced the European launch of FAST Therapy for its WaveWriter Alpha Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) Systems.  The new fast-acting sub-perception therapy targets a new, distinct SCS mechanism of action. While traditional paresthesia-free therapy can take up to a few days to achieve pain relief, FAST is designed to allow patients to experience profound paresthesia-free pain relief in just minutes. [1] Patients and physicians can follow the immediate and significant results before the patient leaves the clinic.

The WaveWriter Alpha Spinal Cord Stimulator System was launched last year and is indicated as an aid in the management of chronic intractable pain. SCS therapies are designed to provide pain relief by delivering pulses of mild electric current to the spinal cord to interrupt pain signals traveling to the brain. Chronic pain is defined as continuous and long-term pain lasting more than 12 weeks. In Europe alone it impacts approximately 100 million people.[i]^,[ii].

“FAST is a clear advancement in helping patients find pain relief,” said Prof. Dr. Jarek Maciaczyk (Chair Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Germany. “Typically we had to wait a few days to assess the full impact of SCS, but with the targeting and stimulation parameters of FAST we can provide paresthesia-free pain relief within minutes, which helps to evaluate the impact of the treatment in a much shorter timeframe and gives the patients back quality of life almost instantly.”

Research presented at the Society for Neuroscience Conference by Warren Grill’s team out of Duke University (in collaboration with Boston Scientific) found that FAST sub-perception SCS generates rapid analgesia by precisely targeting the axons that engage a surround-inhibition effect - a new proposed mechanism of action for SCS. According to clinical data presented at the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) meeting, patients using FAST experienced a reduction of their average pain score from 6.5 to 1.3 in a matter of minutes.[2]

“The data showed that 29 of 33 patients (88%) who received FAST Therapy during the trial responded well and reported highly significant pain relief during their SCS trial,” Vincent Sourdaine, Vice President Neuromodulation of Boston Scientific highlighted. “While we continue to collect data to support FAST, the early findings show the potential of the to be a true gamechanger for pain patients.”

FAST will be launched in Europe at the European Chapters of the International Neuromodulation Society congress beginning of September 2021.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for 40 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high-performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook.

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CONTACTS:

Rainer Puster
Media Relations, Europe
+491754347057

Rainer.Puster@bsci.com