GE HealthCare and Novo Nordisk to Collaborate to Advance Novel Non-Invasive Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity with Ultrasound

• Personalized peripheral focused ultrasound therapy has potential as non-invasive, non-pharmacological alternative for chronic disease management
• Encouraging pre-clinical and early clinical data indicate potential use for people with type 2 diabetes
• Collaboration pairs GE HealthCare expertise in ultrasound technology with Novo Nordisk long-term experience in metabolic disease treatment and management to develop solution to improve patient care

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE HealthCare (Nasdaq: GEHC) today announced a collaboration with Novo Nordisk to further advance the clinical and product development of peripheral focused ultrasound (PFUS). This is a novel technology that has potential to specifically regulate metabolic function in the body using ultrasound that may support the treatment of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.

PFUS is a non-invasive type of bioelectronic medicine that uses ultrasound to activate the nervous system to stimulate a response that may be able to treat disease. Pre-clinical proof of concept and initial early-stage clinical research suggests that it may impact glucose metabolism in people with diabetes via personalized ultrasound stimulation of nerve pathways. If validated with further clinical evidence, PFUS could represent a non-pharmacologic approach to normalize blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. The existing technology was developed by a team of scientists at GE HealthCare’s HealthCare Technology and Innovation Center, formerly part of the GE Research Center.

“In an era where diabetes is increasing around the globe, we are enthusiastic about the potential for ultrasound to help people live healthier lives,” said Roland Rott, President and CEO, Ultrasound, GE HealthCare. “This collaboration with Novo Nordisk opens a path to evolve ultrasound from a means of screening and diagnosis into therapy, as well. We are eager to validate and further develop this potentially groundbreaking science, as we strive to offer patients alternative treatment options for chronic diseases.”

An estimated 540 million adults around the world have diabetes, with type 2 diabetes accounting for more than 90 percent of cases.¹ An estimated one in eight individuals will have diabetes in 2045, with significant disease burden in low-and-middle-income countries.¹ Given its impact on quality of life and mortality, and with its prevalence increasing at an alarming rate for the past three decades,² type 2 diabetes is a significant public health burden. Obesity impacts approximately 1 billion people worldwide.³

“We look forward to exploring the potential impact this technology could have on treating people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, as significant unmet needs remain in these diseases in spite of recent advances in care,” said Martin Holst Lange, Executive Vice President and Head of Development at Novo Nordisk. “Although early, the possibilities of using ultrasound for therapeutic purposes are compelling and we welcome our collaboration with GE HealthCare in this truly novel area.”

As part of the collaboration, GE HealthCare and Novo Nordisk will contribute their respective expertise in ultrasound medical technology and metabolic disease treatment and management as both parties work together to develop a PFUS solution to improve patient care, building upon the extensive foundational research done to date by the GE HealthCare team. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About GE HealthCare Technologies Inc.
GE HealthCare is a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator, dedicated to providing integrated solutions, services, and data analytics to make hospitals more efficient, clinicians more effective, therapies more precise, and patients healthier and happier. Serving patients and providers for more than 100 years, GE HealthCare is advancing personalized, connected, and compassionate care, while simplifying the patient’s journey across the care pathway. Together our Imaging, Ultrasound, Patient Care Solutions, and Pharmaceutical Diagnostics businesses help improve patient care from diagnosis, to therapy, to monitoring. We are an $18.3 billion business with 50,000 employees working to create a world where healthcare has no limits.

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1} International Diabetes Federation. About diabetes – Facts & figures. https://idf.org/about-diabetes/diabetes-facts-figures/. Accessed September 22, 2023.
² Khan MAB, Hashim MJ, King JK, Govender RD, Mustafa H, Al Kaabi J. Epidemiology of type 2 diabetes - global burden of disease and forecasted trends. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2020;10(1):107-111. doi:10.2991/jegh.k.191028.001
³ World Obesity Federation, World Obesity Atlas 2023. https://data.worldobesity.org/publications/?cat=19.