UHNM first in the UK to recruit patient onto pioneering migraine clinical trial
Patients living with chronic migraine are being offered access to a pioneering new clinical trial at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).
UHNM has become the first NHS Trust in the UK to recruit a patient onto the MINT-C trial, with the Royal Stoke University Hospital currently the only UK centre taking part in the international study.
The trial is evaluating a new type of botulinum toxin treatment which researchers hope could help reduce the frequency of migraine attacks while requiring fewer injections than existing therapies.
Dr Brendan Davies, consultant neurologist and clinical lead for the headache service at UHNM, said: "We are very proud to be the first centre in the UK to recruit a patient onto the MINT-C trial and proud that UHNM has been selected as the only UK site for this study.
"This is a significant achievement for our research team and more importantly, for patients across Staffordshire and the surrounding areas, who will have access to potentially groundbreaking new migraine therapies as they become available.
"Botulinum toxin has been used in migraine treatment for many years, but this trial is evaluating a new formulation that requires fewer injections. We are hoping it will prove to be as effective as existing therapies, but the purpose of the trial is to gather the evidence needed to demonstrate that.”
Sarah Lawrence, 54, from Stafford, has become the first patient at UHNM, and the first in the UK, to be recruited and randomised onto the MINT-C trial.
Sarah, an administrator for a logistics company, said:"I suffer from chronic migraines and I just want a solution to getting rid of them, life with them is not good at all.
"I lose about a couple of weeks out of every month because they can knock me out for days on end. They are debilitating to my health and mentally draining as well.
"I signed up for the trial because I wanted to try anything that might help, hopefully this could be something that works for me. The care at UHNM has been absolutely brilliant, I'm really pleased with it."
Chronic migraine can affect people for weeks at a time each month, with symptoms often having a significant impact on work, family life and overall wellbeing.
Ukraina Garcia, lead research practitioner for neurology research, said: "I am incredibly proud of our team's achievement in opening and delivering the MINT-C trial, enabling the first patient in the UK to be recruited to this important study. This milestone reflects the dedication, expertise and collaborative approach of not only our chief investigator but our research nurses and practitioners, consultants and support services who work tirelessly to ensure patients have access to innovative treatments through clinical research."
Martin Booth, research practitioner, said: "It has been a privilege to support the patient's recruitment and coordinate their participation in the MINT-C trial. For people living with chronic migraine studies like this offer hope for improved treatment options in the future while also contributing to the global evidence base that will help shape care for generations of patients."
The milestone comes during the 25th anniversary year of UHNM's Headache Service, which has been delivering headache clinical trials since 2004 and continues to provide patients with access to innovative research opportunities.
Dr Davies added: “"As we celebrate 25 years of our Headache Service, this milestone reflects UHNM's long-standing commitment to advancing migraine research and improving care for patients."
People who experience frequent migraines and would like to learn more about taking part in clinical trials of new migraine treatments at UHNM can contact the research team at research@uhnm.nhs.uk.