Nurx, a women’s health platform best known for using telemedicine to connect patients with contraceptives and STI testing, is dipping into the migraine space. Today it launched a new service that lets patients virtually connect with a provider and develop an individualized migraine management plan. 

Patients pay a $60 annual fee, which includes online medical consultations, a video exam where patients complete cognitive tests, a personalized treatment plan and tracker, check-ins with a provider, and home delivery of medication. 

Users can get prescriptions through the service, but the price of the medications is not included. However, it does work with insurance companies to cover the medications. The company does offer services to people without insurance, and the prices are presented upfront.

WHY IT MATTERS 

Migraines are particularly common in women. In fact, according to the CDC, women are nearly twice as likely to have a severe headache or migraine in the past three months compared to men. People between the ages of 18 and 44 are most likely to have a migraine or server headache, and rates decline with age. 

The company is pitching the use of virtual care and medication delivery as a way to expand access. 

"Telemedicine provides a powerful and meaningful solution to reach people who suffer from headaches but who lack physical access to care or who feel they have had their symptoms dismissed by medical providers in the past," Nurx clinical advisor and American Headache Society fellow Dr. Charisse Lichtman, said in a statement. "I'm encouraged by Nurx's focus on addressing one of the most debilitating health conditions and providing a safe and high-quality experience for its patients."

THE LARGER TREND 

Nurx is a particularly well-funded company. In August it scored another $22.5 million in Series C funding. This number brought the company’s total raise to $113 million. Chelsea Clinton was one of the company’s big-name investors during its $36 million Series B round.

The company got its start in the birth control and PrEP space, but has since branched out to include home STI testing. In March, the company was also exploring at-home COVID-19 testing. It announced a partnership with Molecular Testing Labs and said that it planned to do telehealth consultations and a home-testing service. However, just days after the announcement, the FDA released a warning and regulatory clarification that the agency did not authorize any home testing kits. While various at-home testing kits have since gone through the FDA’s emergency use authorization process, according to Nurx’s website the company has paused its testing efforts for now.