MedPath

Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation for the Prevention of Migraines

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Migraine Disorders
Interventions
Device: gammaCore Sapphire active
Device: gammaCore Sapphire Sham
Registration Number
NCT03716505
Lead Sponsor
ElectroCore INC
Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to investigate if the use of gammaCore Sapphire™ device reduces the number of migraines preventatively.

Detailed Description

The study is a prospective randomized, multi-center, double-blind, parallel, sham-controlled study, designed for comparison of two parallel groups, gammaCore®-Sapphire (active treatment) and a sham (inactive) treatment.

The study period will begin with a four-week run-in period, during which there is no investigational treatment. The purpose of the run-in period will be to establish a baseline of the subject's headache/migraine history for longitudinal comparison.

The run-in period will be followed by a 12-week randomized period when the subjects will be randomized (1:1) to either active treatment or sham (inactive) treatment.

Subjects will dose themselves 3 times per day for 12 weeks.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
231
Inclusion Criteria
  • Between the ages of 18 and 75 years
  • Been previously diagnosed with migraine (with or without aura), in accordance with the ICHD-3 criteria
  • Experiences between 8 to 20 headaches days per month (during the last 3 months), with at least 5 of them being migraine days
  • Onset of migraine at age 50 years or younger
  • Agrees to refrain from initiating or changing any prophylactic medications for indications other than migraine

Key

Read More
Exclusion Criteria
  • Concomitant medical condition that will require oral or injectable steroids during the study
  • Currently on a stable regime of more than 1 migraine preventative therapy
  • Other significant pain problem (e.g., cancer pain, fibromyalgia, other head or facial pain disorder)
  • Known or suspected severe cardiac disease (e.g., symptomatic coronary artery disease, prior myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure)
  • Known or suspected cerebrovascular disease
  • Previous cervical vagotomy
  • Currently implanted with an electrical and/or neurostimulator device
  • Been implanted with metal cervical spine hardware or has a metallic implant near the nVNS stimulation site
  • Known history or suspicion of secondary headache
  • Currently using marijuana (including medical marijuana) or has used marijuana (including medical marijuana) or cannabidiol oil within the last 6 months
  • Currently takes simple analgesics or NSAIDs >15 days per month or triptans, ergots, or combined analgesics >10 days per month for headaches or other body pain
  • Currently takes prescription opioids more than 2 days per month for headaches or body pain
  • Failed an adequate trial (2 months or greater) of at least 3 classes of a drug therapy for migraine prevention
  • Surgery for migraine prevention
  • Undergone nerve block (occipital or other) in the head or neck within the last 3 months
  • Received Botox or CGRP mAb injections within the last 6 months
  • Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant during the study period, or of childbearing years and unwilling to use an accepted form of birth control
  • Previously used gammaCore
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
gammaCore Sapphire activegammaCore Sapphire activeTreatment 3 times per day, every day for the 12-week treatment period Each of the 3 daily treatments comprises 2 consecutive 120-second stimulations on 1 side, ipsilateral (2 stimulations) to the side of predominate pain, upon waking, lunch time (i.e., between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM), and prior to sleep, for a total of 6 stimulations per day
gammaCore Sapphire ShamgammaCore Sapphire ShamTreatment 3 times per day, every day for the 12-week treatment period Each of the 3 daily treatments comprises 2 consecutive 120-second stimulations on 1 side, ipsilateral (2 stimulations) to the side of predominate pain, upon waking, lunch time (i.e., between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM), and prior to sleep, for a total of 6 stimulations per day
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Safety and effectiveness of gammaCore Sapphire as a treatment for the prevention of a migraine during the double-blind period measured by Incidence of Unexpected Adverse Events.12 weeks

The primary outcome measurement for effectiveness is the difference between the active and sham treatment groups in the mean reduction in number of migraine days during the last 4 weeks of the 12-week double-blind period (versus during the 4-week run-in period).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Mean reduction in the number of headache daysLast 4 weeks of the 12 week double-blind

Difference between the nVNS and sham treatment groups in mean reduction in the number of headache days during the last 4 weeks of the 12-week double-blind period

Mean reduction in days on which acute migraine medicationLast 4 weeks of the 12 week double-blind

Difference between the nVNS and sham treatment groups in the mean reduction in days on which acute migraine medication was taken during the last 4 weeks of the 12 week double-blind period

Responder rate in the nVNS group compared to the sham groupLast 4 weeks of the 12 week double-blind

A subject who reports at least a 50% decrease in the number of migraine days during the last 4 weeks in the 12-week double-blind period

Trial Locations

Locations (30)

Clinvest Research

🇺🇸

Springfield, Missouri, United States

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

🇺🇸

Dallas, Texas, United States

West Virginia University Hospitals - Department of Neurology

🇺🇸

Morgantown, West Virginia, United States

UCSF Headache Center

🇺🇸

San Francisco, California, United States

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

🇺🇸

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine

🇺🇸

Miami, Florida, United States

The Research Center of Southern California

🇺🇸

Carlsbad, California, United States

Stanford University Medical Center Hoover Pavilion

🇺🇸

Palo Alto, California, United States

California Medical Clinic for Headache

🇺🇸

Santa Monica, California, United States

Summit Headache and Neurologic Institute, PC

🇺🇸

Englewood, Colorado, United States

New England Institute for Neurology and Headache

🇺🇸

Stamford, Connecticut, United States

NorthShore Ambulatory Care Center

🇺🇸

Glenview, Illinois, United States

Hartford HealthCare Headache Center

🇺🇸

West Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Diamond Headache Clinic

🇺🇸

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Ochsner North Shore Medical Center

🇺🇸

Covington, Louisiana, United States

Headache Neurology Research Institute

🇺🇸

Ridgeland, Mississippi, United States

NY Neurology Associates

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

Crescent City Headache and Neurology Center

🇺🇸

Chalmette, Louisiana, United States

StudyMetrix, LLC

🇺🇸

Saint Peters, Missouri, United States

Dent Neurologic Institute

🇺🇸

Amherst, New York, United States

Island Neurological Associates

🇺🇸

Plainview, New York, United States

ClinPoint Trials LLC

🇺🇸

Waxahachie, Texas, United States

Medstar Georgetown University Hospital

🇺🇸

McLean, Virginia, United States

Norton Neurology

🇺🇸

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Montefiore Headache Center

🇺🇸

Bronx, New York, United States

Mayo Clinic

🇺🇸

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

University Hospitals of Cleveland

🇺🇸

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

🇺🇸

Lebanon, New Hampshire, United States

Michigan Head Pain & Neurological Institute (MHNI)

🇺🇸

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Thomas Jefferson University

🇺🇸

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath