SPR Therapeutics Awarded $6M Contract From the United States Department of Defense to Advance Non-Opioid Pain Relief Therapy

CLEVELAND, May 15, 2017 -- SPR Therapeutics (SPR) has been awarded a $6M four-year contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to further advance its SPRINT™ Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) System for non-opioid relief of acute and chronic pain.  This contract complements a previously awarded DoD grant, bringing the total to nearly $9M awarded from the DoD to advance the research and commercialization of SPR’s pain relief therapy.

“Our Service members deserve the best and most innovative medical treatment,” said Maria Bennett, SPR Therapeutics Founder, President and CEO.  “Building upon substantial safety and efficacy data from prior trials, this project will further establish that our SPRINT PNS System relieves pain in severely injured military Service members and Veterans and helps them to reduce or eliminate use of addictive opioids, improves their quality of life, and accelerates their rehabilitation.  We are very fortunate to partner with the DoD to advance this meaningful and beneficial therapy.”

The DoD funded research, which is supported by the U.S. Army under Contract No. W81XWH-17-C-0019, specifically targets individuals with combat or trauma-related amputations who suffer from moderate to severe neuropathic pain, which the DoD says is a major health problem among Service members and Veterans.  According to the Amputee Coalition of America more than 85 percent of individuals who have had an amputation suffer from residual or phantom limb pain.

“Many of our Service members and Veterans experience excruciating, debilitating postamputation pain,” said Col (RET) Steven P. Cohen, MD, Director of Pain Research at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  “There is a clear military benefit to developing effective and innovative pain relief therapies and to providing treatment beyond conventional painkillers.  All available analgesics have undesirable side effects, the most significant of which are related to opioids.  The SPRINT PNS therapy could have a tremendous impact on how we help our Military Personnel return to the active and fulfilling lives they deserve.” 

The SPR-patented SPRINT PNS technology includes a threadlike lead and a small, wearable stimulator.  The lead is placed percutaneously, or through the skin, and connects to the wearable stimulator, which activates peripheral nerves to achieve pain relief. 

SPRINT was specifically designed for use in the periphery to preferentially activate target nerve fibers, delivering sustained, significant pain relief without opioids, permanent implants or tissue destruction.  The System was developed to address a wide spectrum of chronic and post-surgical pain conditions affecting millions worldwide.

SPRINT is concurrently being evaluated in other advanced clinical trials including its use in the treatment of chronic low back pain and acute post-surgical pain, such as pain following total knee replacement, areas in which there are significant potential applications in military, Veteran and civilian populations.  To learn more about SPRINT, visit www.sprtherapeutics.com.

About SPR Therapeutics
SPR Therapeutics, LLC (www.sprtherapeutics.com) is a private company headquartered in Cleveland.  The company is commercializing its SPRINT™ technology, which provides opioid-free, peripheral nerve stimulation for the relief of chronic and acute pain.

SPR Contact:                                   
Mark Stultz                                        
Senior Vice President                        
[email protected]           
612.770.0390                                     

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