New implant zaps nerve to treat sleep apnea without CPAP
NCT ID NCT05592002
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests a device called the Genio® System, which is implanted under the chin and stimulates a nerve to keep the airway open during sleep. It is for people with obstructive sleep apnea who have not been helped by CPAP machines and have a specific type of airway collapse. The study will track 124 participants for 12 months to see if the device reduces breathing pauses and improves oxygen levels.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Genio® dual-sided hypoglossal nerve stimulation system (implantable device)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new treatment option for people with obstructive sleep apnea who cannot use a CPAP machine, especially those with a specific type of airway collapse.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with no control group, so results may not prove the device works better than no treatment or other options. The device requires surgery, and long-term safety and effectiveness are still unknown.
Why investors are watching
Nyxoah is testing its Genio device, a nerve stimulation system for sleep apnea, in patients whose airway collapse pattern makes standard treatments less effective. This trial is one of the company's main value drivers, and a positive result could establish a new use for its only product. For a micro-cap company, this readout can determine whether the product reaches a broader market.
If it works: If the trial shows the device is safe and works in this difficult patient group, Nyxoah could expand its product's approved use and attract more patients and partners. That would give the company a stronger position in the sleep apnea treatment market.
If it fails: If the trial fails or faces delays, Nyxoah may struggle to grow beyond its current limited use, and its stock could lose value. Clinical trials often fail, so a negative outcome is a real possibility.
AI-written from the trial record. Speculative, and not investment advice.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 124 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2022
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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22 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 1\. Age from 22 to 75 years (inclusive). Participant cannot be under guardianship, under curatorship or under judicial protection. 2\. Body mass index (BMI) ≤ 32 kg/m2. 3. Positive cricomental space (≥ 0 cm). The cricomental space is the distance between the neck and the bisection of a line from the chin to the cricoid membrane when the head is in a neutral position. 4\. Has either not tolerated, has failed or refused positive airway pressure (PAP) treatments. 5\. Moderate to severe OSA (15≤AHI4≤65 where combined central and mixed AHI\<25% of the total AHI) based on a screening HST and confirmed in Baseline PSG. 6\. Complete concentric collapse at the level of the soft palate based on screening DISE. 7\. Willing and capable of complying with all study requirements, including specific lifestyle considerations, performing all follow-up visits and sleep studies, evaluation procedures and questionnaires for the whole duration of the trial. * Exclusion Criteria: 1. Inadequately treated sleep disorders other than OSA that would confound functional sleep assessment: 1. Severe chronic insomnia, 2. Insufficient sleep syndrome (\<6 hours sleep per night), 3. Narcolepsy, 4. Restless legs syndrome, 5. REM behavior disorder, 6. Others deemed sufficient disorders that would confound functional sleep assessment in the judgment of the investigator. 2. Taking medications that may alter consciousness, the pattern of respiration, or sleep architecture as determined by the investigator. 3. Major anatomical or functional abnormalities that would impair the ability of the Genio® System to treat OSA: 1. Craniofacial abnormalities narrowing the airway or the implantation site, 2. Palatine tonsil size 3+ or 4+ by the Brodsky Classification, 3. Fixed upper airway obstructions (tumor, polyps, nasal obstruction), 4. Congenital malformations in the airway, 5. Hypoglossal nerve palsy (bilateral limited tongue movement, or unilateral unintended tongue deviation during protrusion), 6. Existing swallowing difficulty as measured by a score of ≥3 on the EAT-10 questionnaire 7. Others deemed sufficient to impair the ability of the Genio® System to treat OSA in the judgment of the investigator. 4. Significant comorbidities that contraindicate surgery or general anesthesia: 1. Revised Cardiac Risk Index Class III or IV, 2. Persistent uncontrolled diagnosed hypertension despite medications, 3. Coagulopathy or required anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications (such as warfarin, clopidogrel (Plavix) or similar; prophylactic aspirin not exclusionary) that cannot be safely stopped in the perioperative period, Subjects meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: <!-- --> 1. Inadequately treated sleep disorders other than OSA that would confound functional sleep assessment: 1. Severe chronic insomnia, 2. Insufficient sleep syndrome (\<6 hours sleep per night), 3. Narcolepsy, 4. Restless legs syndrome, 5. REM behavior disorder, 6. Others deemed sufficient disorders that would confound functional sleep assessment in the judgment of the investigator. 2. Taking medications that may alter consciousness, the pattern of respiration, or sleep architecture as determined by the investigator. 3. Major anatomical or functional abnormalities that would impair the ability of the Genio® System to treat OSA: 1. Craniofacial abnormalities narrowing the airway or the implantation site, 2. Palatine tonsil size 3+ or 4+ by the Brodsky Classification, 3. Fixed upper airway obstructions (tumor, polyps, nasal obstruction), 4. Congenital malformations in the airway, 5. Hypoglossal nerve palsy (bilateral limited tongue movement, or unilateral unintended tongue deviation during protrusion), 6. Existing swallowing difficulty as measured by a score of ≥3 on the EAT-10 questionnaire 7. Others deemed sufficient to impair the ability of the Genio® System to treat OSA in the judgment of the investigator. 4. Significant comorbidities that contraindicate surgery or general anesthesia: 1. Revised Cardiac Risk Index Class III or IV, 2. Persistent uncontrolled diagnosed hypertension despite medications, 3. Coagulopathy or required anticoagulant medications (such as warfarin, clopidogrel (Plavix) or similar; prophylactic aspirin not exclusionary) that cannot be safely stopped in the perioperative period, 4. Degenerative neurological disorder (i.e., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease), 5. Acute illness or infection, 6. Any other chronic medical illness or condition that contraindicates a surgical procedure or general anesthesia in the judgment of the investigator. 5. Diagnosed psychiatric disease (e.g., psychotic illness, uncontrolled major depression or acute anxiety attacks) that prevents participant compliance with the requirements of the investigational study testing, 6. Substance or alcohol abuse history within the previous 3 years. Alcohol and substance abuse are defined as follows: i. Alcohol: no days with less than 3 or 4 standard drinks for women and men respectively ii. Substance: the use of any substance in an amount unapproved by the investigator or considered illegal. The drugs most commonly abused include cocaine, marijuana, heroin (or substitution treatment), prescription drugs (especially painkillers), methamphetamines, and various other illegal substances. 7. Life expectancy of less than 12 months. 8. Prior surgery or treatments that could compromise the effectiveness of the Genio® System: 1. Airway cancer surgery or radiation, 2. Mandible or maxilla surgery in the previous 5 years (not counting dental treatments), 3. Other upper airway surgery to remove obstructions related to OSA in the previous 3 months (e.g., uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), tonsillectomy, nasal airway surgery), 4. Prior hypoglossal nerve stimulation device implantation. 9. Has an Active Implantable Medical Device (AIMD) even if the device can be temporarily turned off. 10. Participation in another clinical study with an active treatment arm. 11. Plan to become pregnant, currently pregnant, or breastfeeding during the study period.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Bogan Sleep Consultants, LLC
Columbia, South Carolina, 29201, United States
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Center for ENT and Allergy, PC Ascension Medical Group
Carmel, Indiana, 46032, United States
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Colorado ENT & Allergy
Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80923, United States
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ENT and Allergy Associates of Florida, LLC
Boca Raton, Florida, 33487, United States
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Eastern Virginia Medical School
Norfolk, Virginia, 23507, United States
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Hospital of the University Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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Massachusetts Eye & Ear
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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PharmaDev Clinical Research Institute,
Miami, Florida, 33176, United States
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Thomas Jefferson University Department of Otolaryngology
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, United States
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University of Iowa Institute for Clinical & Translational Science
Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, United States
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University of Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States
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University of Miami
Miami, Florida, 33136, United States
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University of Rochester
Rochester, New York, 14627, United States
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University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida, 33620, United States
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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States
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Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States
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