The Vagus Nerve is turning out to be one of the most impressive single nervous pathways in the human body.
An entire industry is rising up around this important bundle of nerves, that few have actually heard of before.
This is an exciting time, and those who can create the right framing for how to think about, and how to stimulate the all important Tenth Cranial Nerve will help shape the health of our world for many years to come.
VNS Market Size
In 2018, the Vagus Nerve Stimulation market was estimated to be at $445.1 Million.
The global vagal nerve stimulation industry is projected grow at an estimated CAGR of 8.68% through 2023.
The product categories available in the Vagus Nerve Stimulation space are separated by if they are surgically implanted beneath the skin (internal VNS), or used on top of the skin without need for surgical intervention (external VNS).
We are going to focus on external VNS technology, as well as include Vagus Nerve measurement technology, which can provide adequate levels of self-therapy to most people interested in stimulating their Vagus Nerve naturally.
Internal VNS
In the internal Vagal Nerve implantation market there are a few major players, and newer applications that are coming soon.
Currently SetPoint Medical is showing promising clinical data that claims it can successfully treat Rheumatoid Arthritis.
LivaNova is currently trialing a device to cure Treatment-Resistant Depression.
The primary applications for VNS is in patient with epilepsy. This is a small market size, however, as the global need and potential for patients sits below 500,000 patients.
Depression, on the other hand, opens the VNS market up to 4,000,000 potential patients. So if LivaNova does further extend this market into TRD, then we will see some first steps towards mass adoption of this technology.
There are other applications that stimulate Vagal nerves in the stomach region to regulate hunger, but these are not nearly as common due to better alternatives such as gastric bypass surgery being a more popular option.
External VNS
External VNS technology can provide adequate levels of self-therapy to most people interested in stimulating their Vagus Nerve without the cost and risks associated with surgical device implantation.
The largest supplier of VNS therapy devices today is ElectroCore LLC.
ElectroCore has already received FDA Clearance to market their devices for migraine cluster headaches.
Other devices include the Nervana, Parasym, Cerbomed.
These provide varying degrees of Vagal Nerve Stimulation through the ear, but efficacy is still not fully fleshed out with these types of devices. More scientific studies need to be run on these technologies to verify their purported benefits.
Monitoring Your Vagal Health
In the space of keeping track of the Vagus Nerve Tone, which is measured in terms of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) there are a lot of products.
The one I would like to focus on first is the Lief @ GetLief.com
This is a really advanced, and effective tool at teaching you stress based responses. Lief likely has one of the most future proof designs and innovations in HRV that make it a viable long term player in the space.
Other groups that operate in this space include EliteHRV and their own finger clip device, Corsense, which measures HRV alongside a mobile phone application.
Another very long time player in the space of measuring HRV is HeartMath, with their InnerBalance device.
They have done a very good job at staying relevant and keeping pace with the market, but as time progresses it does seem it will be difficult to differentiate themselves from other products in this space.
One would hope that these older players are able to innovate in order to stay relevant, and to capture the markets attention in the coming years.
Another company, which is likely showing up in other sector reviews, is the Muse 2 by Interaxon.
This product, once it is able to simultaneously able to monitor EEG and Heart Rate Variability can give the user a very deep insight into their body, that would only be available in a University research setting. They are a company to keep an eye on.
Corporate Wellness
Since we are on the topic of Heart Rate Variability measurements, it’s worth noting the Interaxon, the company making the Muse 2 headset, is making a play into the world of Corporate Wellness.
Interaxon is not the only TransTech company moving in, as this field is growing increasingly important. “Corporate wellness” is a long needed reaction to the follies of our hyper connected, always on world.
More than ever corporations must begin to invest in the health of their employees, and there is no better metric to gauge an individuals mental and physical health, than the measure of Heart Rate Variability.
It is likely that corporations will begin lending out discrete, always on HRV trackers in the workplace to monitor the ups and downs of its most precious resource; its people.
In the future, corporations will mass monitor HRV of their employees, and bring “troubled” individuals in for a potential “stimulation” session of their Vagus Nerve, to help regulate their stress levels within the optimal range.
On The Horizon
In terms of direct Vagus Nerve Stimulation, there are some post-Stealth companies with exciting applications.
A new development from a company called Aucta Technologies.
Aucta proposes a new method for non-invasively stimulating the Vagus Nerve using focused Ultrasound stimulation.
This is a novel approach, but having a personal background in the development and application of Ultrasound Stimulation technology, I am most excited about this company.
They are currently in clinical trials, and are aiming to have a commercial product on the market in the near future. This is definitely a company worth watching.
There are likely other companies with similarly innovative interventions in the Vagus Nerve Stimulation space, but they are as of yet still in stealth mode.
In Summary
The market place for these types of companies is growing at a rapid pace.
There are many regulatory hurdles that must be crossed, but considering that the Vagus Nerve is now being considered by many to be the backdoor into the human brain, it would be foolish to bet against the growth of this sector.