FDA Clears Neurostimulation Device to Ease Opioid Withdrawal
The wearable device, Drug Relief, is a non-narcotic option for treatment and eases withdrawal symptoms within just 30-60 minutes.
DyAnsys Inc. announced that its auricular neurostimulation device, Drug Relief, received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The device is a non-narcotic option to aid in alleviating opioid withdrawal symptoms.
"This device offers hope to those who are suffering from opioid addiction," said DyAnsys Chief Executive Officer Srini Nageshwar, a graduate of the Institute of Technology Madras.
Drug Relief sends electrical pulses through fine needles inserted in the ear over the course of 120 hours. The device stimulates the percutaneous electrical nerve field to reduce symptoms including anxiety, agitation, depression, nausea, and opiate cravings, and increase comfort and mobility for the patient.
Patients using Drug Relief may experience a reduction of opioid withdrawal symptoms within just 30 to 60 minutes of treatment initiation.
Given the increase in deaths related to synthetic opioids, a non-narcotic treatment during opioid withdrawal has the potential to ease the detoxification process and reduce opioid-related deaths.
"We are in a full-blown crisis and we need non-narcotic options and alternatives like this that can make a significant difference for individual patients and their families," said Nageshwar.
The Drug Relief device is currently available for physicians to prescribe for patients undergoing opioid detoxification.
