Klaria and RTHS begin collaboration on early migraine detection and treatment
Klaria Pharma Holding AB (publ) and medical technology company RTHS AB are beginning a collaboration to investigate whether migraine attacks can be identified through changes in an individual's blood flow dynamics. The aim is to combine RTHS's sensor-based technology with Klaria's position in acute migraine treatment, creating the conditions for earlier and more individualised treatment.
Migraine affects around one billion people worldwide and is one of the most common neurological conditions. For many patients the timing of treatment is decisive. A technology able to indicate that an attack is developing could therefore be of significant patient benefit.
RTHS develops non-invasive sensor technology that measures blood flow dynamics, and derives blood pressure from those signals without a conventional cuff. Unlike conventional measurement, the aim is to make repeated readings possible and so follow an individual's physiological changes over time. In migraine, the hypothesis is that changes in blood flow dynamics carry information indicating that an attack is developing.
RTHS is actively evaluating partners for the development of the hardware the technology will be built into. The goal is a product simple enough to wear in daily life to make repeated measurement practical outside a care setting.
The collaboration between Klaria and RTHS aims to evaluate that possibility and establish the conditions for a future solution in which early detection is linked to rapid treatment.
"Migraine treatment is largely a question of timing. If we can help patients identify an attack earlier, it creates a very interesting opportunity to combine detection with rapid and effective treatment. It could mean an entirely new way of managing migraine," says Dr. Scott Boyer, CSO, Klaria.
Klaria has developed Sumatriptan Alginate Film, SAF, for the acute treatment of migraine. The product is based on Klaria's patented alginate film and is designed for rapid and simple administration of sumatriptan via the oral mucosa. SAF is approved in the EU and licensed to CNX Therapeutics for marketing and sale in Europe and the United Kingdom.
Combining early detection with acute treatment could in time create a coherent solution supporting the patient through a larger part of the migraine course.
"Our technology makes it possible to treat blood pressure as more than two isolated numbers. By following how an individual's blood pressure changes over time, we can look for personal patterns linked to physiological events. Migraine is a very interesting area for this technology," says Roy Forslund, founder of RTHS.
Potential for a new way of managing migraine
A future solution could rest on three connected steps: Detect, Treat, Learn.
By identifying changes before or at the onset of an attack, the patient could receive an early signal. Treatment can then be initiated according to medical advice. By following recurring attacks, the system could over time build a better understanding of the individual patient's migraine pattern.
For Klaria, the collaboration is an opportunity to broaden the company's position in migraine from acute pharmaceutical treatment towards a wider ecosystem for individualised migraine management.
For RTHS, it is an opportunity to evaluate the company's technology in a large global disease area where repeated physiological information could create significant clinical value.
The collaboration is at an early stage of development. It has not yet been shown that blood pressure measurement can be used with sufficient accuracy to predict individual migraine attacks. Any medical products or functions will require the necessary clinical validation and regulatory approvals.
About Klaria
Klaria Pharma Holding AB (publ) is a Swedish pharmaceutical company developing products based on its patented alginate film. Klaria's lead product, Sumatriptan Alginate Film, SAF, is developed for the acute treatment of migraine and is approved in the EU.
About RTHS
RTHS AB is a Swedish medical technology development company developing sensor technology for measuring blood flow dynamics, and for deriving blood pressure without a conventional cuff. The technology is designed to enable repeated measurement and analysis of individual patterns over time. The company is based in Gothenburg.