Medtronic's ITB Therapy Superior To CMM For PSS Reduction

Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) announced study results showing the superiority of Medtronic ITB (Intrathecal baclofen) Therapy to conventional medical management (CMM) for the reduction of severe post-stroke spasticity (PSS) in adults. Notably, the results from the ‘Spasticity In Stroke-Randomised Study’ (SISTERS) trial were published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (JNNP).

The results demonstrate that ITB Therapy with Lioresal Intrathecal (baclofen injection) delivered via the SynchroMed II Infusion System is superior to oral antispastic medications in decreasing muscle tone in the affected lower and upper extremities.

Going by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ data, more than 12 million people suffer from spasticity worldwide. According to the company, severe spasticity patients have tight, stiff muscles that make everyday activities tiring and difficult. If proper treatment is not provided then the excessive muscle tone can significantly reduce the quality of life. Hence in an initiative to provide effective treatment to severe PSS patients, the company demonstrated the efficacy of ITB therapy over oral medication.

SISTERS is the first randomized, controlled, open-label, multicentre study to examine the effectiveness and safety of ITB Therapy compared to CMM with oral medications for treatment of PSS after six months of active treatment.

Developments in Pain Therapies

Medtronic is consistently trying to boost its Pain Therapies division, which is part of the Restorative Therapies Group. Recently, the company announced FDA approval of a new clinician programmer for use with the SynchroMed II Intrathecal Drug Delivery system. This is an implantable pump that provides targeted drug delivery for chronic pain and severe spasticity. In September 2017, the company announced FDA approval and U.S. launch of the Intellis platform for the management of certain types of chronic intractable pain.

Stock Performance & Estimate Revision

Over the last three months, Medtronic has outperformed the broader industry. The stock has gained 9.6% versus the 5% gain of the broader industry.

Also, the estimate revision trend for the current year remains favorable with nine estimates moving north over the last two months, compared with three movements in the opposite direction. Estimate moved up 1.5% to $4.77.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Medtronic carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

A few better-ranked stocks in the broader medical sector are Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMED) , Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:BIO) and Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) .

Bio-Rad Laboratories sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The company has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 25%.

Amedisys has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 18.5%. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Intuitive Surgical has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 9.2%. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2.

Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies

It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +18.8% from 2016 - Q1 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +157.0%, +128.0%, +97.8%, +94.7%, and +90.2% respectively.

And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - Q1 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 11X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation.

See Them Free>>