Bioness Inc. released on Monday the results from a long-term study of its L300 Foot Drop System on patients who had suffered a stroke and lost some foot movement. The Valenica biomedical device company, founded by billionaire Alfred Mann, makes a device strapped to the leg that sends electrical impulses to muscles to improve their function. Over the course of the study, patients experienced an initial gait speed increase of 19 percent, which increased to 33 percent at 30 weeks and 45 percent at 42 weeks. The study focused on patients with so-called drop-foot syndrome after strokes, a side effect that leaves them unable to lift their feet while walking. The company plans to use the results to bolster its marketing pitch to insurance companies. “The magnitude of the outcomes under the rigorous controls and methods of the trial will provide additional essential data to third-party payers to consider for coverage of the functional electrical stimulation systems like the L300,” Keith McBride, vice president of marketing and product development, said in a statement. Founded by Mann and a group of executives in 2004, Bioness also makes electrical stimulation systems for thigh weakness and hand coordination. In addition to stroke victims, patients with multiple sclerosis or nerve disorders use the systems.
