Nuneaton firm at the heart of the fight against migraine misery

A Nuneaton business is taking on extra staff to meet the demands of its place at the cutting edge of the fight against migraine.

BHR Pharmaceuticals, based at the Warwickshire County Council-run Centenary Business Centre, is the UK distributor for Cefaly, a headband which reduces migraine attacks.

The device, which is made in Belgium, prevents migraine attacks by sending electrical pulses to the brain if worn across the forehead for just 20 minutes a day.

And BHR have recorded a surge in enquiries since the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) stated that Cefaly can be used within the National Health Service for the treatment and prevention of migraine – meaning that doctors can recommend it to patients.

In one study, regular use of Cefaly was found to provide relief in around 40 per cent per cent of migraine sufferers, compared with 50 to 60 per cent who found relief from taking medication.

With no reported side-effects, the device, which costs £250, is in serious demand. And that is good news for BHR who, since their formation in 1990, have become well-established suppliers of technically advanced products to the healthcare market.

BHR director Bharat Vadukul welcomed NICE's endorsement of the Cefaly.

"This is a very significant step forward for migraine sufferers and the clinicians who treat them," he said. "Cefaly may not be suitable for everyone but this means that clinicians now have another treatment option to discuss with their patients, either before they try pharmaceutical drugs, or when their drug regimen has failed."

While BHR are busy recruiting more staff to deal with distribution of the device to customers in more than 25 countries, Lisa Smullen, manager of the Centenary Business Centre, is delighted to see another one of the council's tenants thriving.

“It is a wonderful success story and BHR is just one many businesses that have found Centenary Business Centre an ideal location to base themselves," Lisa said. "With attractive rates, a great location and a centre-management based on site, the business centre is proving a big pull for both local businesses and those looking to locate in the Warwickshire area.”

Read more about Centenary Business Centre at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/cbc