New Investigational Drugs Offer Hope for Migraine Prevention

Two new studies may offer hope for individuals with migraine. The two studies launched recently will be provided at the American Academy of Neurology’s 66th Annual Meeting.

Both researches include drugs that are targeted at avoiding migraine strikes from taking place, rather than avoiding the strikes once they have began. These studies are the initial to test monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of migraine, and both are instructed towards a comparatively new goal in migraine cure, the calcitonin gene-associated peptide, or CGRP. CGRP has been believed to be essential in migraine, but never have medicines been designed to particularly focus on the protein. Both are phase II research, meaning larger studies are required to ensure the outcomes.

One research engaged 163 individuals who had migraine from 5 to 14 days per month. They obtained either a placebo or a single IV dose of a drug known as ALD403 and then were observed for 24 weeks. Those who obtained the drug had an average of 5.6 fewer migraine days for every month, a 66% decrease, in comparison to 4.6 fewer days per month for those who obtained a placebo, or a 52% cut down. 16 % of those who obtained the drug had no migraine days at 12 weeks, while none of those who obtained the placebo were free from migraine at that point.

There were no variations in side effects among those obtaining the drug and those obtaining the placebo.

“These results may probably signify a new era in precautionary therapy for migraine,” stated Peter Goadsby, MD, PhD, of the UC San Francisco and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, who is an author of both studies.

“Migraine continues to be badly treated, and there are few efficient and well accepted treatments accepted that avoid migraine strikes from happening,” reported Dodick, Co-author for both studies. “There is huge need of an effective treatment for migraine, it is the 3rd most common and 7th most devastating medical disorder in the world.”

In the other research, 217 individuals who had migraine 4 to 14 days per month obtained biweekly subcutaneous treatments of either a placebo or a drug known as LY2951742 for 12 weeks.

Those who obtained the drug had an average of 4.3 fewer migraine days per month at 12 weeks, or a 63% reduce, while those who obtained placebo had 3 fewer migraine days per month, or a 42% decrease. Those who obtained the drug were more probably to have side effects such as pain at the injection area, abdominal pain and upper respiratory tract infections, but general the drug was regarded to be safe and well-accepted.

“We’re positive that a new era of mechanism-dependent migraine protection is starting,” Dodick mentioned.