Tivic Health® Systems, Inc. (“Tivic Health”, Nasdaq: TIVC), a commercial-phase health technology company that develops and commercializes bioelectronic medicine, today announced that it has filed its first patent in Vagus Nerve Stimulation with the U.S. Patent Office (USPTO), expanding its intellectual property portfolio into new clinical targets.
Tivic’s prior patents and current products have focused on the trigeminal and sympathetic nerve structures.
The company’s new filing addresses a novel approach on the state of the art for non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation (nVNS). It includes a novel circuit design for more precise targeting of the signals carried by the vagus nerve, with the potential to offer superior efficacy to alternative nVNS approaches.
Vagus nerve stimulation is of high interest in medicine due to its therapeutic and commercial promise. Originating from the human brainstem, the vagus nerve connects the brain to many vital organs, including the heart, lungs, and immune system organs such as the spleen. The vagus nerve is responsible for the regulation of organ function, carrying sensory information, controlling muscles, and influencing the immune system. Vagus nerve stimulation has been proven effective for conditions including treatment-resistant depression, epilepsy, and migraine.
“Non-invasive stimulation with precision targeting of the vagus nerve is directly in support of our strategic goals to expand our proprietary footprint in bioelectronic medicine,” said Jennifer Ernst, CEO of Tivic. “This patent could advance the field of bioelectronic medicine with a more precise approach to the treatment of cardiovascular, neurological/psychiatric, and systemic inflammatory chronic health conditions without surgery, implants, or pharmaceuticals.”
Tivic currently has five issued U.S. patents, 96 claims, and 20 pending patents in the U.S. and abroad.
Its first commercial product, ClearUP, is an over the counter bioelectronic device that is FDA approved for the treatment of symptoms of inflammation such as sinus pain and congestion. Tivic has proven its ability to innovate by combining science and technology with its expertise in neuroimmunology, medical device product development, and regulatory affairs. This patent filing is Tivic’s first step towards targeting life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating human diseases or conditions that have high costs and could benefit from more effective, patient-centric therapeutic solutions.
