First patient in the Netherlands receives migraine implant

For the first time in the Netherlands, a patient has received a wafer-thin implant for chronic migraine as part of a clinical trial. This took place at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. The migraine therapy, developed by the Dutch company Salvia BioElectronics, is currently being investigated in a study in Belgium, Australia, and now also in the Netherlands. In addition to Erasmus MC, St. Antonius Hospital Utrecht/Nieuwegein is also participating in the study.

Migraine therapy: how it works

Salvia's migraine therapy has been in development since 2017 at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. The implant is designed to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks by sending gentle electrical pulses to the nerves. The therapy consists of two wafer-thin implants: one just under the skin of the forehead and one just under the skin of the back of the head. This is accompanied by a portable external device that activates the therapy at the push of a button.

Signals out of balance in the brain

“Our nervous system uses electrical signals to control how our body moves, feels, and functions,” says Frank Huygen, professor of anesthesiology at Erasmus MC, who performed the first operation of Salvia's study in the Netherlands. ”In migraine, these signals can become unbalanced. Neuromodulation may help to correct this imbalance and restore the balance.” Neuromodulation has also proven successful for cluster headaches. The initial test results of Salvia's migraine therapy are promising, but more research is needed.

Migraine is not a headache

“Chronic migraine affects an estimated one to two percent of the world's population,” says Hans Carpay, migraine expert and neurologist at The Migraine Clinic and author of the book ‘Migraine is not a headache’. ”Most patients are young people in the prime of their lives, often women. Many of them experience insufficient relief from existing therapies or medication, which often means they can barely work and miss out on important parts of their social lives. For some, the disease even prevents them from starting a family.” Carpay is one of the neurologists involved who evaluates patients for possible referral to the study in the affiliated hospitals, as is Dr. Emile Couturier, a neurologist at Neurology Center Amsterdam at the Boerhaave MC.

The ultimate goal of Salvia? “We want to offer people with severe migraines worldwide a new treatment option through their neurologist,” says Wim Pollet, medical director at Salvia BioElectronics.

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