Helius Medical announces outcome of PoNS Stroke Registrational Program

Helius Medical (HSDT) Technologies announced positive outcome from the PoNS Stroke Registrational Program supporting a planned FDA submission seeking an indication for gait and balance deficit in patients with chronic symptoms of stroke under the current Breakthrough Device Designation. The key primary outcomes from the SRP indicate that: A double-blind randomized clinical trial met the primary endpoint of demonstrating statistically significant greater improvements in gait and/or balance deficit due to stroke with active PoNS therapy with and without including additional data from an open label study using statistical methods to balance baseline characteristics. The studies also confirmed a minimal incidence of adverse events and good treatment tolerability. Helius started the SRP in March 2024 after a positive interaction with the FDA on the data development program, study design, and endpoints. The SRP includes two pivotal Sponsor-initiated clinical studies: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial and a single-arm trial, which began in April 2024. The SRP is also supported by a pilot investigator-initiated, double-blind randomized controlled trial by Dr. Steve Kautz and Dr. Mark Bowden of MUSC and Brook Rehabilitation respectively, which began late in the fall of 2023. All three clinical trials enrolled patients from the same patient population and shared the same study structure/endpoints aimed at establishing the efficacy and safety of PoNS in people with gait deficit due to chronic stroke. A total of 159 patients were enrolled across the three studies, with 130 patients completing both the 12-week study treatment phase and the 12-week post treatment follow-up period, at 10 clinical sites including centers of excellence for stroke rehabilitation across the US and Canada. Study participants received the study treatment in combination with physical therapy according to the current guidelines for functional rehabilitation of people with chronic stroke. The primary endpoints for all three studies included improvement of gait and/or balance deficit after 12 weeks of study treatment with two key multiplicity-controlled secondary endpoints assessing risk of falling and 12-week durability of effect. The double-blind randomized clinical trial met the primary endpoint of demonstrating statistically significant greater improvements in gait and/or balance deficit due to stroke with active PoNS Therapy with and without including additional data from an open label study using statistical methods to balance baseline characteristics. The studies also demonstrated minimal incidence of adverse events and confirmed good treatment tolerability. The PoNS has not yet been approved in the United States for use in stroke rehabilitation and remains investigational for this use. Helius is planning to file a submission to the FDA for an indication in stroke during the third quarter of 2025 under its current FDA breakthrough designation for stroke.