Gondola Medical Technologies: proven science, hard road to adoption

Gondola Medical Technologies, a medtech company with roots in Ticino and Vaud, has been granted a four-month debt-restructuring moratorium (sursis concordataire) by the Lausanne District Court. The moratorium runs until 5 February 2027, as announced in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (FOSC).

Founded in Lugano in 2011, Gondola moved two years later to Biopôle in Epalinges. The company developed a foot-stimulation device designed to help people with Parkinson’s disease regain balance and walking ability.

A simple therapy for a disabling symptom

Gondola AMPS (Automated Mechanical Peripheral Stimulation) is a non-invasive therapy. By stimulating specific points on the feet, it helps relieve motor symptoms of Parkinson’s such as walking difficulties, rigidity and motor blocks.

Each session lasts just two minutes and applies precise pressure to two specific points on each foot. The therapy is designed for regular, ongoing use and is compatible with existing treatments. After a short initial assessment in a partner centre, patients can use it on their own at home. Gondola presents it as a major step forward in treating Parkinson’s motor symptoms: a fast, non-invasive solution backed by scientific studies.

It targets one of the most disabling aspects of the disease: freezing of gait, when a patient suddenly stops, unable to move their feet forward. Studies of the therapy report:

• fewer freezing episodes
• faster walking speed
• longer steps
• better motor scores on the UPDRS scale

Strong evidence, slow uptake

The device has been the subject of 14 scientific publications. Yet the neurology community has been slow to adopt it. Gondola’s story illustrates a challenge many medtech innovators know well: clinical evidence alone does not guarantee that a new therapy reaches the patients who could benefit from it.