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The vagus nerve has proven to be a critical target for a number of potential new bioelectronic medicine therapies. But at the same time, this nerve has confounded research teams and startup firms pursuing indications such as heart failure and inflammatory disorders. A recent paper highlights some of the attributes of this complex nerve that make commercializing new therapies so difficult, including…

The market for brain computer interfaces continued to heat up in recent weeks as several vendors announced new milestones in human implantations. As we have noted in previous issues of this publication, the number of new firms entering the space and the amount of venture funding being distributed to startups surpasses any other product category we have seen in the 25 years we have been covering the neurotechnology industry.

The market for brain-computer interfaces continues to expand, with new players and new financing being announced almost weekly. As we report in our article on page 1 of this issue, some of the earliest competitors in this space are engaged in a race to accumulate new human participants in an effort to position themselves as a market leader, even though meaningful revenues are years away for most of these firms.

The vagus nerve has proven to be a critical target for a number of potential new bioelectronic medicine therapies. But at the same time, this nerve has confounded research teams and startup firms pursuing indications such as heart failure and inflammatory disorders. A recent paper highlights some of the attributes of this complex nerve that make commercializing new therapies so difficult, including…

Medtronic Inc., the Minneapolis, MN manufacturer of medical devices, has long been regarded as a powerhouse in neuromodulation and bioelectronic medicine. With sizable market share in product categories such as cardiac rhythm management, spinal cord stimulation, and bowel and bladder neuromodulation, the company has leveraged its engineering strength and market presence in multiple product categories.

Neurotech Business Report Some of the nation’s leading neurotechnology researchers and entrepreneurs took to the stage at the recent SynBioBeta conference in San Jose, CA earlier this month to offer their views on the future of the field and its impact on society as a whole. A session called “The Neural Frontier: Pioneering Tomorrow’s Brain Technologies” was moderated , CEO of Forest Neurotech and…

Many in the neurotechnology industry have come to lament some of the new policies that the incoming Trump administration has bestowed upon startups and researchers in the space. Much has made about the funding cuts, staff reductions, travel restrictions on government researchers and other clampdowns that threaten the U.S.’ preeminence in life science fields such as neurotechnology. But now a new th…

Traditionally, implantable neuromodulation therapies have been reserved for patients with chronic, refractory pain, while noninvasive solutions like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation have long occupied the space of acute pain management. However, new devices increasingly supported targeting the critical window between acute and chronic pain—whether for post-operative pain or lower back pa…

While the main focus of this newsletter is on clinical use of bioelectronic medicine, we occasionally cover animal research that has high clinical potential. Recently, Kip Ludwig’s team at the University of Wisconsin, with assistance from Warren Grill and Nicole Pelot at Duke University, published a preprint of their study, where five pigs were acutely stimulated with two VNS cuffs placed on the cervical vagus.

Due to the unique anatomy of our skeletal system, certain components degrade faster than others. The intervertebral disc’s inner core (nucleus pulposus) is particularly vulnerable. Lacking blood vessels, this tissue depends entirely on fluid diffusion from the disc’s outer surface for oxygen, glucose, and waste removal. This diffusion process is facilitated , hydrophilic glycosaminoglycan molecules produced .