First SetPoint Neuroimmune Modulation Procedures Completed in New Mexico
SetPoint Medical has announced the completion of the first SetPoint System procedures in New Mexico. The procedures were performed at University of New Mexico Hospital (UNM Hospital) in Albuquerque by neurosurgeon James Botros, M.D., who was also a surgical investigator in the RESET-RA study.
The SetPoint System is described as the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved neuroimmune modulation therapy for adults living with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response, loss of response, or intolerance to one or more biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. It includes a miniaturized implantable neurostimulator that delivers targeted stimulation to the left vagus nerve, activating the body’s innate anti-inflammatory pathways to help regulate the immune activity associated with RA, and patients charge the device at home using a wireless charger worn around the neck for a few minutes each week.
RA is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy joint tissue, causing pain, swelling, and bone erosion that can progress to deformity, reduced mobility, and lasting disability. An estimated 1.5 million adults in the United States live with RA, and there is no cure, with many patients continuing to experience inadequately controlled disease or being unable to tolerate existing therapies. The first patient treated with the SetPoint System in New Mexico was referred by Hillary Norton, M.D., a rheumatologist and medical director at Inspire Santa Fe Medical Group.
James Botros, M.D., the neurosurgeon who performed the procedures at UNM Hospital, said treating rheumatoid arthritis has not traditionally been part of a neurosurgeon’s practice, which is what makes the therapy so different. Botros noted that the vagus nerve plays an important role in regulating inflammation, and that the SetPoint System allows clinicians to engage that pathway directly, adding that having worked with the system since its clinical investigation, he looks forward to seeing the collaboration with rheumatology continue to grow at UNM Hospital.
Hillary Norton, M.D., a rheumatologist and medical director at Inspire Santa Fe Medical Group, said that despite the number of advanced therapies available today, a significant group of patients continue to live with active disease, side effects, or both. Norton noted that the SetPoint System gives those patients a treatment that works through a different mechanism than anything they have tried before, and that it is an important addition to how RA is treated.
Murthy V. Simhambhatla, Ph.D., President and CEO of SetPoint Medical, said completing the first SetPoint System procedure in New Mexico adds another state to the growing list where SetPoint Therapy is available and reflects the company’s commitment to expanding access to neuroimmune modulation for people living with rheumatoid arthritis. Simhambhatla noted that SetPoint Medical is grateful to Botros, Norton, and their teams for helping move RA care forward and for their commitment to people living with the disease.
