FDA Approves Bilateral Ultrasound for Parkinson’s Symptoms

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Exablate Neuro, Insightec’s platform for noninvasive, MRI-guided focused ultrasound therapy, for the bilateral treatment of motor symptoms in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease who no longer respond to medication.

The therapy targets regions within the pallidothalamic tract, a brain pathway involved in motor control and coordination. Exablate was previously approved for unilateral treatment, or that targeting only one side of the brain, of Parkinson’s motor symptoms.