ACR: Sustained Clinical Responses Seen With Neuroimmune Modulation for RA

THURSDAY, Nov. 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Twenty-four-month data show sustained clinical responses for patients receiving neuroimmune modulation therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, held from Nov. 6 to 11 in Orlando, Florida.John Tesser, M.D., from Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates in Phoenix, and colleagues reported long-term safety and efficacy outcomes at 24 months in a randomized pivotal trial. Patients with RA with an inadequate response or intolerance to at least one biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD) were enrolled; all patients received neuroimmune modulation using an implantable device to deliver a one-minute daily dose of electrical stimulation to the left cervical vagus nerve during open-label extension. A total of 242 patients across 41 sites underwent device implantation.The researchers found that 92.1 percent of the patients continued with stimulation therapy at 24-month follow-up; 62.8 percent had not added a b/tsDMARD to stimulation therapy. The ACR20 (≥20 percent improvement) was 57.7, 62.1, and 70.9 percent at 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively, for stimulation therapy without add-on therapy. At 24 months, the ACR50 rate was 43.6 percent and ACR70 rate was 25.5 percent; low-disease activity or remission was attained by 54.6 and 55.0 percent by the Disease Activity Score 28 using C-reactive protein and by the Clinical Disease Activity Index, respectively. Overall, 80.6 percent met the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology good or moderate response."The findings further validate SetPoint neuroimmune modulation therapy as a differentiated treatment approach for those living with rheumatoid arthritis," coauthor David Chernoff, M.D., from SetPoint Medical in Sausalito, California, said in a statement.Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including SetPoint, which funded the study.AbstractMore Information.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

ACR: Sustained Clinical Responses Seen With Neuroimmune Modulation for RA

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