Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. (BSE: 500124, NSE: DRREDDY, NYSE: RDY, NSEIFSC: DRREDDY; together with its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as “Dr. Reddy’s”), a global pharmaceutical company, has announced the launch of Nerivio®, a drug-free non-invasive migraine management wearable device, in South Africa. Nerivio® is a United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)-licensed and CE-marked device that uses Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) for migraine treatment and/or prevention.
The device was recently launched at the Neurological Association of South Africa congress (NASA). The launch in South Africa marks the latest launch of Nerivio® by Dr. Reddy’s, after its successful launch in India in 2023 and in Germany and Spain in 2024. Sharing a plenary session on Nerivio®, at NASA, Dr. Stewart Tepper, Vice President of the New England Institute of Neurology and Headache, said: “Nerivio® has a proven track record of successfully treating patients with Migraine across the markets it has launched. In the U.S., it is integrated routinely and extensively in migraine care with excellent results.”
Nerivio® is used for acute and preventive treatment of migraine. It is a device that wraps around the upper arm using a non-painful Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) to activate peripheral nerves on the back of the arm that control the passage of pain signals to the brain. This triggers a pain-inhibiting response from‘‘ the brain. The user-friendly Nerivio® app, which can be downloaded from Google Play Store and the Apple app store, comes with in-built features such as an interactive migraine diary to log symptoms, track responses and share insightful analytics. The device is backed by Dr. Reddy’s Patient Support Programme called Mi-Free, offering a comprehensive support system that includes device delivery, onboarding education, and regular check-ins.
“This is a novel breakthrough non-pharmacological non-invasive neuromodulation device, providing optimal acute and preventive therapy for migraine in those 12 years of age and older without the risk of significant side effects. In so doing, Nerivio® eliminates the risk of medication side effects and the potential for drug-drug interactions,” Dr. Tepper said.
Migraine is one of the most prevalent and disabling disorders. The current best estimate of global migraine prevalence is 14 – 15%, and, in terms of burden, migraine accounts for 4.9% of global ill health, quantified as years lived with disability. Migraine is known to have a disproportionate impact on women. According to Medi-Clinic 18% of women suffer from migraines in comparison to only 6 % of men.
Dr. Rashem Mothilal, Country Head, Dr. Reddy’s South Africa, said: “our launch of Nerivio® in South Africa marks our commitment to meet the unmet patients needs with innovative solutions. Being a novel device, Nerivio® has proven efficacy in not only effectively treating relief of pain but also associated symptoms in migraine such as nausea and vomiting. It has been shown to reduce the need for drugs used for acute treatment in nearly nine out of 10 patients. The device is contraindicated for individuals with implantable medical devices and those with uncontrolled epilepsy. ”
