The IHC 2023 congress is organized every other year by the International Headache Society, IHS, in various locations around the world. This time, it is in Seoul, Korea, which is the first time the event has been held in Asia since 2005.

“The interest in the study and its results is significant within the migraine field. Being part of this congress is an excellent opportunity for us to inform about K.O.S as a treatment method to the absolute forefront of the migraine field worldwide," says Anders Weilandt, CEO of Chordate.

IHS is an international professional organization based in the UK that collaborates with others to benefit individuals affected by headache disorders. As a charity, the purpose of IHS is to advance headache science, education, and management, and to promote headache awareness worldwide.

More information about the congress: https://ihc2023.org/
More information about IHS: https://ihs-headache.org/en/

“The case study is a good example of a migraine patient who, for various reasons, cannot medicate with drugs typically prescribed for chronic migraines, and who experiences a very positive effect from K.O.S. A reduction from 18 to 8 migraine days per month, combined with a four-month sustained effect, is a significant positive outcome. It demonstrates the great potential of K.O.S. as a new treatment option for individuals suffering from chronic migraines and who do not respond to other existing treatments," says Jan Hermansson, Clinical Research & Medical Director at Chordate Medical, who was present in Berlin.

The case study was authored by Florian Rimmele together with Tim P. Jürgens and Peter Kropp at the Department of Neurology, Headache Center North-East, University Medical Center Rostock. Below is an excerpt from the case study:

A 45-year-old female patient with a long history of chronic migraine with visual auras presented to our headache center. In addition to systemic mastocytosis with evidence of a KIT-D816V mutation, the patient suffers from bronchial asthma, recurrent depression, and anxiety disorder. On average, the patient had migraine on 18 days/month. Due to mastocytosis and allergic reaction to multiple substances, acute medication was only possible with tramadol, which showed only moderate effect. The established medicinal migraine prophylactics could not be used because of various contraindications; the patient reacted allergically to the considered amitriptyline and also the multiple injections of a prophylaxis with onabotulinumtoxinA are contraindicated in mastocytosis.

The patient received kinetic oscillatory stimulation (K.O.S.) in a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. Over 6 weeks, weekly stimulation of 10 minutes per nostril was given, under which the migraine improved very well and a reduction to an average of 8 migraine days/month was achieved. The patient reported no side effects during the stimulation therapy. After completion of the study and unblinding, the patient could be assigned to the test (verum) group. The improvement effect lasted for 4 months.

Conclusion
In this particular case, established migraine prophylactic medication was not possible in a patient with chronic migraine, due to her other medical conditions, especially systemic mastocytosis. K.O.S., which was performed as part of a study, proved to be a well-tolerated and long-lasting prophylactic.

“The interest in the study and its results is significant within the migraine field, and this is a great opportunity for us to inform about K.O.S as a treatment method. Germany is one of the Chordate’s prioritized markets, and our partner, MTIGER GmbH, has made significant progress in introducing the K.O.S treatment to key neurologists and opinion leaders in the country," says Anders Weilandt, CEO of Chordate.

The German Migraine and Headache Society (DMKG) was founded in 1979 by a group of dedicated headache scientists and today has more than 450 members, mainly Neurologists, Anaesthetists and General Practitioners, as well as Psychologists and Pharmacologists. One of the organization's goals is to improve treatment options for patients with acute and chronic headaches.

"Judging by the subsequent questions from the audience, the presentation was received with great interest. The questions asked mainly pertained to the study design, patient population, and the ease of use of the K.O.S. product. According to the physicians I spoke with after the lecture, the need for alternatives and complements to commonly used medications was confirmed. Having access to a therapy that does not entail drug side effects is seen as an important aspect in the migraine care sector”, says Anders Weilandt, Chordate CEO.

In the abstract that forms the basis of Dr. Hoffmann's lecture, the authors write "The findings of the clinical trial show that intranasal K.O.S is an effective and safe option for the preventive treatment of chronic migraine. The non-pharmacological nature of the treatment option positions K.O.S as a valuable addition to the current therapeutic portfolio for the management of chronic migraine as beyond having a solid and sustained treatment effect, it stands out from other preventive treatments by its favorable side effect profile”.

"It is important to remember that our treatment method is a completely new concept for the world at large, and we are only at the beginning of disseminating knowledge about K.O.S. treatment. It is gratifying to have the opportunity to do so here in the United States, where approximately 39 million people suffer from migraines”, says Anders Weilandt.

"It's very exciting, partly because it's the first time the study's final results are being presented at a conference, and partly because it's the first time the company is engaging in this type of activity in the US", says Anders Weilandt.

In addition to Dr. Hoffmann's lecture, Anders Weilandt has meetings with industry professionals and researchers over the weekend. The participants at the conference consist mainly of specialists in headache and migraine, with the majority being from the USA, but also including international visitors.

"The main focus is, of course, the presentation and capturing the expected interest it will generate. It’s also important to continue building networks within the industry represented at the conference and the associated exhibition."