Support Us
Your gift today will help us develop a drug-free treatment to reduce pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.
Donate nowKaren’s story
Karen has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for 22 years and says she will be first in line to test the new treatment when it goes into clinical trials.
She says: “The medication makes the the pain bearable most of the time, but when I have a flare up it’s a struggle to do anything.
“Some days my joints are burning hot, stiff and swollen. I find it very hard to walk. I can’t put my car key into the ignition.”
The treatment comprises a tiny device that stimulates the vagus nerve with electricity to reboot the body’s built-in healing system.
Bringing hope to people with rheumatoid arthritis
Help fund pioneering research
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, which means the body attacks its own organs causing inflammation of joints and leading to pain, deformity and disability. It affects over 500,000 Australians.
But that could change with this revolutionary new treatment being developed by Dr Sophie Payne and her team at the Bionics Institute.
Your gift will help our researchers set up a comprehensive clinical trial of the revolutionary medical device and get it into doctor’s clinics as soon as possible.
If you or someone you love suffers with rheumatoid arthritis, wouldn’t you want to give them the opportunity to be pain-free?
Help us fast-track this treatment to stop pain and disability
If the new treatment is successful, you’ll help people with rheumatoid arthritis live a life free of pain and disability.
Fast-tracking development of this treatment will bring relief to sufferers and their families.
Being able to move and do daily activities without pain will make a huge difference – just ask Karen!
Thank you for your compassion and supporting the development of this treatment to for rheumatoid arthritis – your kindness means so much to patients and their families.
About this research
Our researchers are developing a drug-free treatment for rheumatoid arthritis to give long-term relief from pain and disability for people no longer responding to drug therapies.
A tiny electrode array is attached to the vagus nerve just under the diaphragm. The vagus nerve connects the brain to the gut and contols natural anti-inflammatory processes.
The electrode is powered by a small battery implanted at hip level. The battery only needs to be replaced every 10 years, ensuring the device provides a set-and-forget treatment.
The treatment will go into clinical trials before being made available more widely. Read more about the research.
Want to support the future of research like this?
Early-stage research for life-changing devices & treatments like this is made possible by donations from our supporters.
Your support today could turn the seed of an idea into a new treatment in the future.
Find out how you can support research innovation here.
