SecondWave has reported positive initial results from a pilot study investigating its wearable therapeutic ultrasound device for chronic and acute inflammatory disorders. The ULTRA pilot study, utilizing the SecondWave MINI device, enrolled 13 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition characterized by joint pain, swelling, and damage. During the eight-week non-invasive therapy period, ten patients experienced benefits, showcasing significant clinical improvement based on widely utilized disease activity metrics.
The wearable device, placed on the upper left abdomen area over the spleen, delivers splenic ultrasound treatment five times daily for two months. SecondWave's approach is based on previous evidence demonstrating that ultrasound applied to the spleen can suppress blood and genetic markers of inflammation in animals with hyper-inflammation. With the expectation of a full study data readout by year-end, SecondWave is considering further trials to evaluate the device in larger participant sizes. Principal investigator Dr. Erik Peterson emphasizes the encouraging results, advocating for larger controlled trials to validate splenic ultrasound as a non-invasive therapeutic option for rheumatoid arthritis.
