Inspire Medical Systems Europe GmbH, a medical technology company focused on the development of innovative, minimally invasive solutions for obstructive sleep apnoea, today announced eight major NHS hospitals in England are on course to offer its innovative neurostimulator implant treatment to patients this year. This therapy provides a safe and effective alternative for moderate to severe OSA patients who cannot tolerate using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapies.  

Inspire™ implant is an MRI* compatible neurostimulator implant that is placed in the body through two small incisions. It synchronises with the patient’s breathing during sleep and uses gentle pulses to move their tongue out of the airway so they can sleep soundly.  

Since 2014 more than 100,000 patients worldwide and including a growing number of British OSA sufferers have benefitted from Inspire therapy, reducing their AHI (Apnoea-Hypopnea Index)1 and improving their quality of life2.  

The first British patients to use Inspire implants to address their OSA were treated in Guys and St Thomas’s hospital in London. Inspire will now be available in an additional seven NHS England hospitals where patients will be able to be referred for the treatment in 2025:  

·                     Great Ormond Street Hospital, London  

·                     Imperial College Healthcare, London  

·                     University College London Hospitals  

·                     Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals, Essex  

·                     Queen Victoria hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex  

·                     Birmingham University hospitals  

·                     Manchester University hospitals  

Patients may be eligible to be referred to treatment at these hospitals if they have moderate to severe OSA (AHI 15-65 with <25% central or mixed apnoea), are unable to tolerate CPAP and are not significantly obese (BMI < 35 kg/m²). Inspire should only be offered after CPAP has been tried and the patient has been unable to tolerate it. The cost of the Inspire implant is reimbursable by the NHS.   

Ryan Cheong, a Consultant ENT and sub-specialist Sleep Surgeon at University College London Hospital, said: “Inspire therapy is a proven treatment. With it, we’re seeing patients having the surgery with no long term complications and after a few months enjoying a therapy that’s effective in controlling their OSA. Extending this therapy to many more hospitals is going to answer a currently untapped need.”   

Commenting on how availability of the treatment is being extended in England, Dr. Thilo Tuebler, Medical Director at Inspire Medical Europe said: “Reaching a new milestone for access to our therapy is testament to how well we are partnering with the NHS in England and ENT and respiratory teams in NHS hospitals to build awareness and familiarity with the therapy. They know that there is a gap for a safe and effective option for OSA patients who cannot tolerate CPAP. It is great that we are able to work with teams of hospitals respiratory, ENT and sleep specialist clinicians to offer our innovative treatment.”  

About Inspire Medical Systems Europe GmbH  
Inspire is a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative, minimally invasive solutions for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Inspire’s proprietary Inspire therapy is the first FDA, EU MDR, and PDMA-approved neurostimulation technology that provides a safe and effective treatment for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.  

For additional information about Inspire in the UK, please go here  

 

 

Disclosure  

Mr. Ryan Chin Taw Cheong is a substantive Consultant ENT and Specialist Sleep Surgeon at the world leading Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He is currently the only Consultant ENT Surgeon in the United Kingdom with a full-time NHS practice exclusively in snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea. Contact details: uclh.Referrals.Sleep.RNTNEH@nhs.net  

802-276-001, Rev B  

Always speak to your doctor about your treatment options. Individual treatment results may vary. For important information about Inspire therapy and its delivery, risks and safety, visit www.inspiresleep.co.uk/important-safety-information/  

 

*Patients with Inspire™ can have full-body MRI scans performed. For full MRI requirements, warnings, and precautions, please view the “MRI Guidelines for Inspire Therapy” manual at manuals.inspiresleep.com. 

 

References 

[1] Woodson BT, et al. Upper Airway Stimulation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: 5-Year Outcomes. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018 

Kim DH, et al. Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Effects on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Over Time: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024 

[1] Braun M, et al. Patient-reported outcomes with hypoglossal nerve stimulation for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2023 

Alrubasy WA, et al. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea in adults: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Respir Med. 2024