US Approves Vagus Nerve Therapy for Arthritis Relief

Quick Summary

• The US FDA has approved a vagus nerve stimulator to treat rheumatoid arthritis, marking the first approval of such a device for an autoimmune condition.
• The pill-sized device, implanted surgically near the vagus nerve in the neck, delivers electrical pulses over a decade to reduce inflammation.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is typically treated with immune-suppressing anti-inflammatory drugs that have severe side effects and leave patients vulnerable to infections and cancer. Nearly 75% of patients are dissatisfied with current treatments.
• A clinical trial involving 242 people showed that 35% of participants receiving vagus nerve stimulation experienced at least a 20% reduction in symptoms versus 24% for those without stimulation. Serious side effects occurred in less than 2%.
• Experts believe this technology could one day address other inflammatory-related diseases like heart failure,diabetes,Parkinson’s disease,multiple sclerosis,and inflammatory bowel disease.