ApniCure, which makes the Winx Sleep Therapy System for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), announces that Winx is now available for direct purchase by consumers. Winx provides relief from obstructive sleep apnea without a mask and is designed specifically for the half of sleep apnea patients who can’t or won’t use a CPAP machine. FDA-cleared and previously available only in select sleep labs, Winx is currently available to consumers in California, but will be available with broader national distribution in 2017.

“Many patients who stop using their CPAP machine don’t go back to their sleep doctor or lab,” says Matt Vaska, co-founder and CEO of ApniCure, in a release. “As a result, they don’t learn about alternatives to CPAP like Winx, which is so new that many doctors aren’t familiar with it. So, we’ve decided to market Winx directly to consumers and offer to connect them with independent board-certified sleep medicine physicians who will consult with them via telemedicine—an online video appointment—to see if the patient’s condition merits a prescription for Winx or another treatment. New technology—both Winx and the convenience of telemedicine—can help millions of people who have given up on CPAP.”

Haramandeep Singh, a board-certified sleep medicine physician, says, “As a doctor who has treated thousands of patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea by prescribing the first-line therapy of CPAP, I have been disappointed that many of my patients cannot tolerate it or stop using it eventually. Winx is a refreshing alternative to CPAP that solves many of the challenges patients have with CPAP, so I recommend it as an excellent alternative treatment to try.”

Winx uses a oral pressure therapy (OPT). Instead of delivering forced air through a mask like CPAP, Winx delivers a light vacuum through a soft, flexible mouthpiece that fits comfortably in the mouth. The mouthpiece is connected to the Winx console by a very slim tube. Winx keeps the airway open during sleep by gently drawing the soft palate forward and stabilizing the tongue.

Eight-six percent of Winx users experienced improvement in their obstructive sleep apnea, with 58% of them either much improved or very much improved, according to assessments by their physicians in recent clinical trials. Forty-one percent were fully treated per FDA criteria and 76% of trial participants said they would use Winx to treat their sleep apnea.1

Reference

1. Sleep Medicine, Volume 14, Issue 9, September 2013:830-7.