Elbit Imaging Ltd. announced that the FDA has approved its Exablate Neuro system for a non-invasive treatment of essential tremor (ET) in patients who have not responded to medication. Exablate Neuro uses focused ultrasound waves to precisely target and ablate tissue deep within the brain with no incisions or implants. The treatment is done under Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) guidance for real time treatment monitoring. Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder, affecting more than 5 million people in the United States, and millions more worldwide. Hand tremor is the most common symptom, but tremors can also affect the head, arms, voice, legs, and torso. For these patients, performing everyday tasks presents a challenge and impacts their quality of life. This approval by the FDA was based on clinical data from a randomized, double-blind, multi-center clinical study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of non-invasive thalamotomy with MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound. A total of 76 patients were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to receive the Exablate treatment (56 patients) or the sham procedure (20 patients), the exact same procedure but without any ultrasound energy. Patients in the placebo treatment arm were later allowed to undergo an Exablate Neuro treatment. Patients treated with the Exablate Neuro showed nearly a 50% improvement in their tremors and motor function three months after treatment compared to their baseline score. Patients in the control group had no improvement, and some experienced a slight worsening after the sham procedure before they crossed over into the treatment group. A year following the procedure, the patients who underwent the Exablate Neuro procedure retained a significant measure of improvement in these scores compared to baseline.