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Has anyone had success with a vagus nerve stimulator for rheumatoid arthritis?

The FDA recently approved the SetPoint System, an implantable vagus nerve stimulator specifically for moderate-to-severe RA. Clinical trial results showed promising outcomes:

At 3 months
- Participants had significantly greater improvement in Show Full Answer

Has anyone had success with a vagus nerve stimulator for rheumatoid arthritis?

The FDA recently approved the SetPoint System, an implantable vagus nerve stimulator specifically for moderate-to-severe RA. Clinical trial results showed promising outcomes:

At 3 months:
- Participants had significantly greater improvement in RA symptoms compared to those with a placebo device

At 12 months:
- Nearly half achieved low disease activity or remission
- 75% were able to stay off biologics or targeted synthetic DMARDs for a full year

Side effects:
- About 5% experienced hoarseness (most common)
- Just under 2% had serious side effects, mostly within the first three months
- Risks included pain or infection at the implant site

The device works by sending gentle electrical pulses to the vagus nerve once daily for 60 seconds. This helps regulate the body's immune response and reduce inflammation. It's designed for people who haven't responded well to biologics or JAK inhibitors, or who can't tolerate their side effects.

The implant is placed during an outpatient procedure through a small incision in the neck. SetPoint Medical plans to roll it out in select U.S. cities in 2025, with wider availability in 2026.

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