Disrupting the Migraine continuum of care for resource constrained settings

Chronic migraine is defined as a headache persistent for more than 3 months or a severe headache persistent for more than 15 days within a month. It affects approximately 2% of the world population. The World Health Organization classifies severe migraine attacks as among the most disabling illnesses, comparable to dementia and quadriplegia. Treatments start with pharmaceutical drugs, which have contra-indications and severe side effects and often remain ineffective in chronic migraine patients. Injectable treatments like Botox and nerve blocks can be effective but require multiple sessions per year and also have undesirable effects. Treatments using neurostimulation products that deliver electrical pulses to the occipital nerve have been up to 80% effective but they are designed for the back not the neck which results in high rates of surgical revisions. This leaves the chronic migraine population severely underserved and in need of an innovative solution. Our vision is fundamentally based on disrupting the continuum of care and referral pathway by creating a more effective non-surgical solution that reduces cost and risk and therefore increases accessibility to more physicians and patients.The consortium will develop a novel platform for the treatment of chronic migraine that will be particularly applicable to resource restricted environments and targeting underserved patients. We are working on 4 elements working together seamlessly. 1) LUNA-AIR: An implantable electronics device with neural write stimulation 2) LUNA-CONTROL: A wearable device that will communicate with and power the implantable device. 3) LUNA-APP; a mobile app to control the implant. 4) LUNA-INJECT; an ergonomic, minimally invasive, injection device that minimises tissue trauma and training required for physicians.