Largest, Longest Real-World Study of Migraine in U.S. Veterans Finds that Nerivio® Helps Patients Successfully Skip Prescribed Migraine Medications in 3-out-of-4 of Their Migraine Attacks
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. and CAESAREA, Israel, Aug. 6, 2026
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Largest, Longest Real-World Study of Migraine in U.S. Veterans Finds that Nerivio® Helps Patients Successfully Skip Prescribed Migraine Medications in 3-out-of-4 of Their Migraine Attacks
PR Newswire
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. and CAESAREA, Israel, Aug. 6, 2026
Peer-reviewed data from nearly 30,000 real-world treatments reinforce the role of Nerivio®, a drug-free REN wearable, as an alternative for veterans managing this complex, often service-related condition
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. and CAESAREA, Israel, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Theranica, a neuromodulation therapeutics company advancing migraine care through its proprietary Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) technology, today announced results from the largest and longest-running real-world evidence study of migraine treatment in the U.S. veteran population published to date. The peer-reviewed study, published in Military Medicine, the official journal of AMSUS – the Society of Federal Health Professionals, found that Nerivio, the company’s FDA-cleared REN wearable, gave veterans consistent, patient-centered relief from migraine while reducing their reliance on prescribed migraine medications.
The prospective real-world evidence study, conducted in accordance with the FDA’s Real-World Evidence framework, followed 466 veterans cared for by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) across 28,274 REN treatments between November 2020 and February 2026. It was co-authored by neurologists from VHA Headache Centers of Excellence in Nashville, TN and Chicago, IL, the Central Virginia VA Health Care System and Virginia Commonwealth University, and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, alongside Theranica’s medical information and research team. The study’s multi-site authorship reflects REN’s existing clinical integration across several VHA Headache Centers of Excellence nationwide.
In 77% of REN treatments, veterans avoided prescribed medication entirely for acute migraine care — using REN as a stand-alone therapy in 61% of treatments and pairing it with an over-the-counter option in 16%.
Efficacy results were consistent with previous randomized controlled trials and real-world evidence studies with REN:
- Post 2-hour pain relief was achieved by 66.7% of patients, and post 2-hour pain freedom in 26.6% of patients;
- Post 2-hour relief from functional disability was achieved by 69.3% of patients, and complete freedom from functional disability by 33.3%;
- Post 2-hour freedom from associated migraine symptoms – sensitivity to light and sound, nausea / vomiting – in 56.5% of the patients.
Timing proved critical to outcomes: Veterans who began treatment within one hour of their migraine onset saw significantly greater benefit than those who treated later, including up to 28 percentage points higher functional disability relief and double the likelihood of achieving functional disability freedom (2.0x).
As expected, safety findings were very favorable: only 2 of 466 patients (0.4%) reported device-related adverse events, both local, mild and non-serious.
“This large, peer-reviewed study provides important evidence supporting the role of non-pharmacologic approaches in the treatment of migraine, particularly for patients with complex medical needs,” said Dr. David Shulkin, former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “Many veterans manage multiple chronic conditions and already face significant medication burdens. Findings such as these highlight the potential value of safe, evidence-based, drug-free treatment options as part of a comprehensive approach to migraine care.”
Alon Ironi, CEO and Co-Founder of Theranica said, “Nerivio can be prescribed to eligible patients by any certified clinician, not just neurologists. That means shorter access time for patients in need, as they do not need to wait for a neurologist appointment.”
Migraine and other headache disorders are especially common among U.S. veterans, who frequently manage them alongside service-related conditions such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. This complex clinical picture often limits the use of standard migraine medications because of contraindications or the risks of polypharmacy — a challenge the study’s authors identify as a key reason for expanding access to well-tolerated, non-pharmacological options like REN within veteran care. This aligns directly with the VHA’s own Opioid Safety Initiative and its institutional priority to expand non-pharmacological, non-opioid options for veteran pain management.
“Veterans with migraine are among the most clinically complex patients we treat, often managing multiple service-related conditions alongside their headache disorder,” said Dr. Alan R. Towne, a neurologist at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System in Richmond, Virginia, Director of its Headache Center of Excellence, Professor of Neurology Virginia Commonwealth University, and a co-author of the study. “What stood out to me was how consistently veterans were able to manage their migraine attacks with Nerivio alone, without reaching for additional medication. For a population where polypharmacy is a real and constant concern, having an effective, non-drug option we can build into a treatment plan is enormously valuable.”
This publication marks an important milestone for Theranica, extending Nerivio’s evidence base into one of the therapy’s most clinically demanding and mission-critical populations, and reinforcing the company’s established relationship with the VHA as a source of independently validated evidence. Nerivio is available today to all eligible veterans through the VA and is listed on the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS). As Theranica continues to broaden commercial insurance coverage nationwide, this study strengthens the clinical case for non-pharmacological migraine care within federal health systems.
This study also points to Theranica’s broader vision: advancing REN beyond migraine to deliver safe, effective, reimbursed, drug-free treatments for a wider range of idiopathic pain conditions. The experiences of these veterans underscore what is possible, demonstrating that people living with complex, chronic pain may have a path to meaningful relief without the tradeoffs of medication.
About Nerivio®
Nerivio® is the first and only FDA-cleared, prescription Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) therapy indicated for both acute and preventive treatment of migraine, establishing a new standard of care. Supported by more than 30 original peer-reviewed published clinical studies, including multiple randomized controlled trials as well as large-scale real-world evidence studies, Nerivio has demonstrated consistent efficacy, a favorable safety profile, and effectiveness in clinical practice.
Worn on the upper arm, Nerivio activates the body’s endogenous pain-inhibitory pathways through Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM), delivering targeted, drug-free relief. Cleared for patients aged 8 and older, it delivers patented electrical pulses without needles, systemic side effects, or drug interactions. Controlled through a smartphone app, Nerivio enables targeted, on-demand treatment aligned with how migraine occurs in real life — providing relief during attacks and reducing migraine frequency with preventive use.
About Theranica
Backed by leading healthcare VCs such as New Rhein Healthcare, aMoon, Vivo Capital, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, including a recent growth stage round of financing led by Vivo and New Rhein, Theranica is a growth-stage neuromodulation therapeutics company redefining the standard of care for migraine and other complex chronic neurological disorders through its proprietary Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) technology. Grounded in the science of Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM), REN selectively engages the body’s endogenous descending pain-inhibitory pathways to deliver clinically validated, drug-free relief.
Theranica is advancing REN beyond migraine as a scalable mechanism of action, developing a pipeline of effective, reimbursed, non-pharmacologic treatment options for patients across a broader range of chronic pain conditions.
Media Contact
Kris Barr
Executive Director, Public Relations & Investor Relations
Theranica
k.barr@theranica.com
+1 410.919.7889
SOURCE Theranica



