Early results show potential for electroCore's non-invasive vagal nerve stimulator as a novel, effective, and well-tolerated treatment for cluster headache

NEW YORK - Tuesday, June 25th 2013 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The results of an open label study presented at the INS (International Neuromodulation Society) 11th World Congress in Berlin showed that Non-Invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation (nVNS) has meaningful clinical benefits both in time to relief from an acute cluster headache and a decrease in the frequency of attacks.

The report on the open-label trial, run by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of two sites in the UK and Ireland was presented by Dr Alexander Nesbitt and Dr Juana Marin. The report included data from 21 patients, five with twelve months of experience with nVNS, and concluded that nVNS delivered by electroCore’s gammaCore device appeared to be effective, safe and well-tolerated for up to twelve months. The report concluded that nVNS is useful for acute and preventive treatment strategies and should be considered before surgically invasive neuro-stimulation. The authors concluded that this data strongly supports additional randomised studies of nVNS.

“Although the data is still early, these results are encouraging,” said Professor Peter Goadsby, Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. “Acute cluster headache is a dreadfully painful condition, and can be utterly disabling. These results are likely to encourage further research into this new treatment which offers real hope to patients.”

Data Highlights

Acute Treatment

    The researched showed that on average, 47 percent of the treated attacks were terminated within 15 minutes.
    There was a reduction in the use of concomitant therapies (oxygen and injectable triptans).

Preventative Treatment

    On average the number of attacks within a 24 hour period was halved following preventative treatment.
    Overall, 86% of the patients noted that they were satisfied or very satisfied and would recommend it to others. Adverse events were mild and transient.

JP Errico, Founder and CEO of electroCore commented, “We are pleased to see our gammaCore device provides meaningful and sustained relief for people suffering from cluster headaches. We believe that nVNS therapy offers possible clinical benefits in a number of therapeutic areas and, as this study highlights, our novel technology takes this therapy out of the operating room and puts it into the hands of clinicians and patients in a way they can benefit from on an on-going basis”.

Contacts

Simon VanePercy

+44-(0)-1737-821890

simon@vanepercy.com