Eindhoven-based startup Salvia Bioelectronics has developed an ultra-thin implant that stimulates nerves in the head to reduce or even prevent chronic migraine. The technology offers an alternative for patients who don’t get enough relief from medication. The device is currently in the clinical trial phase.
Approximately 1-2 percent of the population develops chronic migraine, a neurological disease where patients experience debilitating headaches and hypersensitivity to sound and/or noise. These symptoms stem from nerve pathways running from the forehead and neck to the brain. For one-third of chronic patients, medication or other treatments like Botox injections aren’t effective enough.
The founders of Salvia Bioelectronics – Hubert Martens, Daniël Schobben and Wim Pollet – set out to change that. They developed an implant to battle chronic migraine and recently launched a clinical trial to prove its effectiveness. The Eindhoven-based startup’s technology may be an alternative for people who experience little to no relief from regular approaches. Martens previously co-founded Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation, a company that developed a ‘pacemaker for the brain’ for Parkinson’s treatment and was acquired by US-based Medtronic in 2014 (link in Dutch).
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