I don’t have much experience or anything closure to Scandinavian healthcare but I suspect that sleep physicians in Australia would view CPAP as the gold standard because you can prescribe it to the most severe patients and still improve their disease.

If rest assure can be implemented within a reasonable cost structure the data will be invaluable in persuading sleep physicians to prescribe oral airway devices I believe in the Australian and American settings.

I haven't had a super deep dive into this company but just my 2 cents from a Dentist perspective.

The clinical evidence that @Strawman linked is related to comparing Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD - which is what Somnomed produce) and CPAP machines. Both the studies show that the MAD and CPAP had similar efficacies in reducing the effects of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) with CPAP machines being slightly ahead. Compliance was obviously higher in MAD patients due to it being a much smaller and less invasive device.

Anecdotally I have seen a few patient's who have used a CPAP in the past but could not get used to it and now use a MAD and they report that it has definitely improved their quality of sleep. I do have other patient's who swear by their CPAP. From what I have learnt (this area is getting more specialised and I am a general dentist), as long as the device is used correctly and there is good compliance, then both are effective against OSA.

Probably the only thing I would note is that I'm pretty sure SOM don't have a patent for the MAD? I may be wrong but I'm fairly certain that as long as your dental lab has the knowledge of how to produce the device, you can easily send them the impressions or scans of your patient and they can produce the MAD for you. The SOM website also has a product for bruxism (teeth grinding) which is definitely a product that any dentist can produce using their own lab or inhouse. Maybe something to look into or ask management in the future.

Just had a quick look at Oventus' website and their video on how their device works.

Interesting concept in having "device breathing" however I can't see how this would be much better than SOM's MAD device. I would say that the 2 devices are basically the same which potentially outlines a lack of uniqueness for both companies? (as in anyone can come in and create this device).

The goal of the MAD device is to push the mandible (the lower jaw) forward which would open up the airway to prevent OSA. OVN claims that their device is superior in the case that the patient switches to mouth breathing and allows the device to maintain the positive airway pressure, but since the MAD is basically splinting the mandible forward, the ideal goal of maintaining an open airway should still be achieved even if the patient is switching to mouth breathing during the night. Plus, most patient's would likely be undergoing some sort of therapy to guide them towards nasal breathing in the long term.

From what I've seen I would imagine there would need to be studies that show the OVN device is much better than a MAD otherwise I'm not sure what the benefit of this device would be. In the end it would come down to marketing to see if they can get their brand out there as the devices are quite similar and I'm not sure if there is enough in this market for 2 players (not including non-listed and unbranded players).

Thanks @Strawman and @mushroompanda for the link and presentation respectively. Really enjoyed your presentation @mushroompanda

I particularly enjoyed the link you made to increasing awareness of sleep health, apple watch tech etc. Awareness of this problem is definitely on the increase.

There is actually quite a bit of research provided through your link Andrew (too much for a 20 minute perusal) so I'll look at it properly before posting a summary in my view.

Thanks for taking a look @GazD

Really glad to hear management aren't making any spurious claims as to the products efficacy.

What it helps reinforce, to my mind, is that the challenge for Somnomed is more about changing perceptions and increasing awareness among dentists and sleep therapists -- something which they seem accutely aware of and are very much focused on.

If they can shift attitudes (and the new device and the data it delivers should help) there's a lot of upside. That being said, l expect this will take a little while to play out.

Wow that is significantly less invasive and definitely a huge positive in getting more people diagnosed

Appreciate the information

Thanks for attending Alpha, and glad you got something out of it!

The OSA treatment industry is likely to continue to grow at a rapid pace with a lot further to run. There will likely be plenty of room for multiple large players.

The only negative I can see is the rise and rise of bariatric surgery and weight loss meds. However, one only has to look around a shopping mall to see there is still a large number of people that are likely to have OSA!