Tackling the source of phantom limb pain with nerve stimulation

Millions of people worldwide suffer from pain that is perceived to be in an area of the body that is paradoxically no longer (or never was) attached to the body. This pain is commonly referred to as ‘phantom limb pain’, a complex clinical phenomenon that is not fully understood, but in part is a result of disrupted neurological signals to the brain. A variety of therapies have been deployed to target this pain, but the common approach of prescribing painkillers to patients only serves to alleviate the symptoms rather than the cause, and it is well known that overuse or long-term use of painkillers can have adverse consequences for patients' health.

New and long-term therapies are therefore required to meet this unmet clinical need, and it is encouraging to see that Neuros Medical (US) recently secured Series D funding to the tune of US$ 56 million to progress commercialisation of their nerve-stimulating Altius® device. The device includes an implantable electrode which modulates the electrical signals in problematic nerve endings, and includes a controller so that the patient can independently administer relief using the device on-demand and according to their pain levels. Neuros Medical's focus on putting patient needs in managing their own pain at the forefront of what they do is reflected in one of their more recent patent families, which describes technology for patient-led control of the dose of electrical signal imparted to the problematic nerves.

The device was approved by the FDA in 2024 with ‘breakthrough’ status, and the clinical data appears to be incredibly promising with reports from around half of subjects that their pain had been significantly and sustainably reduced over a period of 12 months, and around 81% of subjects reporting reduced use of painkillers. Many subjects also reported improved mobility and quality of life following use of the device.

Whilst it appears that the data studies have been limited to patients in the US, with the latest round of investment it will hopefully only be a matter of time before patients across the globe can access this exciting technology for themselves.