Posted by Michael Wonder on 05 Jul 2019
Device for preventing and relieving pain of cluster headaches approved by NICE in draft guidance
5 July 2019 - A handheld device that delivers a small electric current has been recommended by NICE for the prevention and treatment of cluster headaches, a rare but painful type of headache that affects around 100,000 people in the UK.
The recommendation is made in NICE’s draft medtech guidance published today (5 July) for public consultation. It highlights that using gammaCore in addition to standard care (sumatriptan, zolmitriptan and oxygen) could save the NHS £450 per patient in the first year compared to standard care alone.
The guidance says that, because gammaCore is not effective in all patients with cluster headache, it should only be used following a 3-month trial period where it has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms. Clinical experts suggest that around 25% of people in the UK with cluster headache – around 25,000 – are likely to respond to treatment with gammaCore.
