Developed by Signifier Medical Technologies, eXciteOSA® is a first-of-its-kind sleep apnoea treatment device, designed for daytime use from the comfort of home. The neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device targets the root cause of mild obstructive problems and snoring – showing up to a 52% reduction in AHI (Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index) severity in clinical trials. With 80% real-world compliance, this less intrusive alternative to CPAP is already challenging the status quo. We spoke to co-founder, Professor Akhil Tripathi, to learn more.
Hi, Akhil. Could you tell us, what inspired eXciteOSA®?
I wanted to innovate and disrupt a market still reliant on 40-year-old solutions. Current sleep apnoea therapies are bulky, uncomfortable and can ironically disrupt sleep. From ill-fitting straps that cause air leaks to potential dryness and congestion, it was clear something had to change.
So, eXciteOSA® was created – to give patients better sleep quality without night-time disruption, addressing the root cause directly during the day.
With multiple ventures in healthcare throughout your career, I must ask – why sleep apnoea? Did you always believe in daytime therapy?
Sleep apnoea affects almost one billion individuals globally. So, potential for impact here is enormous. I always wanted to help as many people as I could to achieve quality of life – and what better place to start than breathing? When we can’t breathe clearly at night, our bodies don’t get enough oxygen to support healthy brain, heart and other key functions. So, issues as simple as snoring can eventually lead to serious health problems, from daytime fatigue and high blood pressure to stroke, diabetes and severe mood disorders.
That’s why I’m so passionate about improving sleep. It’s one of the three pillars of health alongside diet and exercise – meaning that targeting apnoea can significantly boost wellbeing.
How have patients responded so far? Has feedback shaped your approach?
We live by the mantra, “the patient comes first”, dedicating the last ten years to refining our product to maximise individual outcomes whilst maintaining compliance. The result is a product that’s intuitive – almost “plug-in and play” – leading to us winning awards for design and usability. Inclusivity in access is really important to us – and that’s based on real-world user feedback.
From a business perspective, we’ve invested heavily in awareness and data, as well. Clinical trials, across both controlled and real-world environments, have helped us to demonstrate efficacy, bringing key stakeholders on board. The fact that we have 83% compliance – far higher than CPAP’s typical 50-70% – has also helped, contributing to reviews that have been overwhelmingly positive among the 10,000+ patients we’ve treated so far.
Has anything along this journey surprised you?
Prior to eXciteOSA®, all sleep products on the market needed to be used or worn at night. We are the only provider to create something that can be used during the day – because eXciteOSA® is treating the root cause of the problem and addressing issues proactively, rather than being limited to reduction of during-sleep signs. I wasn’t quite prepared for the amount of effort it would take to convince medical teams of the benefits of this when we first started. So, one of the biggest surprises was perhaps the amount we have had to invest in detailed clinical trials and peer-review publications to prove our worth.
That said, the team has done a phenomenal job driving awareness within the prescriber community – and our patient advocate team has also proved very successful when it comes to educating patients, helping them to understand the merit behind the simplicity of our therapy. We’ve since received considerable support across the physician and patient markets, leading to such promising outcomes and high rates of success.
Was it hard building and leading the multidisciplinary team of clinicians, engineers and regulatory experts needed to get to that stage? Surely, you were dealing with some very different ways of thinking?
Well, yes. But different mindsets can be a strength! Success came from really identifying each team member’s skills, encouraging everyone to use these “superpowers” to bring us all closer to achieving shared company goals. We all need and learn from one another. It’s simply my job to be available and supportive, to keep people engaged, happy and motivated. Listening really helps here, allowing me to build a really strong team that I’m proud of – something that’s allowed eXciteOSA® to build vital relationships with external stakeholders, as well.
That’s wonderful! How do you think things might develop moving forward? Have any other healthcare innovations caught your eye recently?
I’m seeing good things from Apple and a few other wearable developers, where the functionality of products has surprised me – particularly when it comes to diagnosing sleep apnoea. These improvements will be a good thing for eXciteOSA®, not only increasing awareness of sleep issues in the general population so people can seek treatment early but also driving a market push towards a more accessible, convenient, therapeutic approach like ours. The goal is for eXciteOSA® to reach new patients before things become severe – so leaps in wearable technology will only help us.
Finally, what are the next big milestones or innovations on the horizon for eXciteOSA®?
Clinical efficacy has already been demonstrated. So, the next step is ensuring that health systems and insurers recognise value and cover the cost for patients. This will remove significant access barriers, allowing many more people in desperate need of an alternative to traditional therapies like CPAP to benefit from our invention. Broadening availability through reimbursement will drive real-world impact on a much greater scale.
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