Neuromodulation Project

Bioelectronic medicine is a multidisciplinary field, rapidly gaining momentum to provide alternative treatment option to pharmaceuticals. One such therapy is being developed by SetPoint Medical, a company trying to treat rheumatoid arthritis by vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), leveraging decades of research in the inflammatory reflex pathway.

Intrigued by this research, I set out to delve deeper into the therapy and the device. Interestingly, I found that their initial proof-of-concept (PoC) studies used the traditional helical (270° nerve wrap) electrode while their pilot studies used their MicroRegulator (180° nerve wrap) electrode. To investigate the performance of the two electrode designs, I did my course project involving:

• Computational analysis (Software - Sim4Life) to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms by -

  • • Modeling the human vagus nerve and electrode geometry

    • Carrying out finite element analysis to study the electric and potential distribution

    • NEURON simulations to study the recruitment profile and fascicle selection

• Thorough literature review behind the therapy

• Understanding the safety & efficacy data from PoC & pilot studies

• Patent search to identify the associated intellectual property

• Exhaustive competition landscape, not just by existing products, but also by other evolving technologies

• A hypothetical recommendation as to whether J&J should acquire Setpoint Medical (considering market size, funding, current investors, leadership, and some market trends)