/ THERAPEUTIC APPROACH
Rethinking medicine –
with electrical impulses
The vagus nerve plays a decisive role in regulating a range of bodily functions. Vagus nerve stimulation is a promising therapeutic option that can positively affect numerous medical conditions.1
1 Chen, Z., & Liu, K. (2025). Mechanism and Applications of Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 47(2), 122. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47020122
/ APPLICATION
Vagus nerve stimulation
in chronic diseases
Neurostimulation – stimulation of a nerve by electrical impulses – is a therapeutic modality of growing importance in the treatment of chronic diseases. It represents an alternative to pharmacotherapy, particularly when medications are ineffective due to resistance or intolerance.
Why new treatment modalities are needed
75 %
of non-pandemic deaths in 2021 were attributable to chronic diseases.1
19 mill.
people die from cardiovascular diseases annually.1
47 trill.
estimated global costs for chronic diseases by 2030 (in USD).2
50 %
of patients with chronic diseases do not take medications as prescribed.3
1 World Health Organization (2014): Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2014. ISBN 978-92-4-156485-4.
2 Hacker, K. (2024): The burden of chronic disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2023.08.005
3 World Health Organization (2003): Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action. ISBN 92-4-154599-2
/ VAGUS NERVE
One nerve –
many possibilities
The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and a central element of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. The two branches (left and right) of the vagus nerve are connected to different organs in the body and serve as communication pathways between the brainstem and the respective organs1. Based on the information transmitted by the vagus nerve, the brainstem influences the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and is thus able to regulate unconscious bodily functions such as heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and immune responses.
Its role as an information carrier makes it particularly relevant for the treatment of chronic diseases. 2 For most indications, the left branch of the vagus nerve is the one of interest and is specifically targeted during vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to alter the information transmitted through it by means of electrical stimulation (neuromodulation).
1 Thompson N. et al. (2026): Human vagus nerve fascicular anatomy and its implications for targeted cardiac stimulation: a microCT segmentation and histological pilot anatomical study. Front. Neurosci. 20:1731234. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2026.1731234
2 Qing K. et al. (2018): B fibers are the best predictors of cardiac activity duringvagus nerve stimulation. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42234-018-0005-8
The vagus nerve is responsible
for various bodily functions
/ VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION
Vagus nerve stimulation with
broad therapeutic potential
Currently, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is primarily established for the prevention and reduction of epileptic seizures. However, its therapeutic potential is considerably broader: in future, many chronic diseases could be favorably influenced by vagus nerve stimulation.
/PLATFORM
The neuroloop
technology platform
neuroloop’s technology platform is designed to address a variety of chronic diseases – provided that the underlying control circuits are linked to endogenous regulation via the vagus nerve.
baroloop is the first potential therapy based on the neuroloop platform. It has been developed for patients with resistant hypertension and is currently being evaluated in a clinical study.
Further treatment options based on this technology platform are currently under development.
/JOINT DEVELOPMENT
Collaboration with Merck KGaA:
Application in inflammatory diseases
In a joint development project with Merck KGaA, neuroloop is currently developing the technology for an additional therapeutic approach – extending the platform to the treatment of inflammatory diseases.