How this Dutch startup is helping paralyzed patients move again
In 2012, when a tree fell on her family's car, Jessie Owen's life transformed. Both of her parents died, and the then-27-year-old Owen was paralyzed. 'I lost everything overnight: my independence, career, home,' she says. 'And it's hard to rank them, but losing my autonomy to control my own body was up there.'
Her spinal cord injury left her with some limited movement, but fine motor skills were especially challenging. Then, a few years ago, she took part in a clinical study of new technology: a device called ARC-EX, which temporarily attaches electrodes to the skin to stimulate sensory nerves in the spine. After a few weeks of therapy, Owen could tie her shoes, open a jar of peanut butter, and drink from a glass without a straw. 'There's a quiet dignity in needing less help,' she says.
Results of the study appeared in Nature Medicine last year, showing improvements in hand strength or function among 90% of participants. Owen also saw her blood pressure stabilize, and she no longer had neuropathic pain. In the past, after an injury, patients with quadriplegia typically got three months of rehab and were then told nothing more could be done. The study showed it was possible to help people with 34-year-old injuries.
The device, which spun out of research at UCLA, became the first of its kind to get FDA clearance last December. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the medical tech company Onward is bringing ARC-EX to market, with plans to use it at 10 clinics before it becomes widely available later this year. The company is also running studies on an implantable version and a third platform with a brain-computer interface that can help people move again using their thoughts.
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Tell all your healthcare providers that you are taking Wegovy® before you are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat. Please see Medication Guide and Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, for Wegovy® at About Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company that's been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for more than 100 years. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to drive change to help people defeat other serious chronic diseases such as obesity, rare blood, and endocrine disorders. We remain steadfast in our conviction that the formula for lasting success is to stay focused, think long-term, and do business in a financially, socially, and environmentally responsible way. With a US presence spanning 40 years, Novo Nordisk US is headquartered in New Jersey and employs over 10,000 people throughout the country across 12 manufacturing, R&D and corporate locations in eight states plus Washington DC. For more information, visit Facebook, Instagram, and X. Novo Nordisk is committed to the responsible use of our semaglutide-containing medicines which represent distinct products with different indications, dosages, prescribing information, titration schedules, and delivery forms. These products are not interchangeable and should not be used outside of their approved indications. Learn more at Contacts for further information Media:Liz Skrbkova (US)+1 609 917 0632USMediaRelations@ Ambre James-Brown (Global)+45 3079 9289Globalmedia@ Investors:Frederik Taylor Pitter (US) +1 609 613 0568fptr@ Jacob Martin Wiborg Rode (Global)+45 3075 5956jrde@ Sina Meyer (Global) +45 3079 6656 azey@ Ida Schaap Melvold (Global) +45 3077 5649 idmg@ Max Ung (Global)+45 3077 6414mxun@ References: 1. Kaplan LM, Golden A, Jinnett K, et al. Perceptions of barriers to effective obesity care: results from the national action study. Obesity. 2018;26(1):61-69. 2. Bray GA, Kim KK, Wilding JPH; World Obesity Federation. Obesity: a chronic relapsing progressive disease process. A position statement of the World Obesity Federation. Rev. 2017;18(7):715-723. 3. Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, et al. American association of clinical endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for medical care of patients with obesity. Endocr Pract. 2016;22 (Suppl 3):1-203. 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult obesity facts. Last accessed: June 2025. Available at: 5. World Obesity Federation. World Obesity Atlas 2023. Last accessed: June 2025. Available at: 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk Factors for Obesity. Last accessed: June 2025. Available at: 7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Why it matters. Last accessed: June 2025. Available at: 8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023. Last accessed June 2025. Available at: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NOVO NORDISK INC. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
