Novel Drug Shown to Reduce Pain and Disability in Acute Migraine

A novel treatment option for acute migraine that is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shown promising results in the reduction of pain and disability in acute migraine sufferers. The drug ubrogepant, developed by Allergen, is a small molecule antagonist of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor that gets administered orally. Anti-CGRP medications that are currently available for prescription are administered by injection, so this new drug may serve as a welcoming alternative for those with acute migraine attacks. Moreover, there have been a few studies which have demonstrated positive findings pertaining to efficacy, tolerability, and overall functional improvements for individuals who trialed the drug.

Two randomized, double-blind, multicenter phase III studies known as ACHIEVE I and ACHIEVE II sought to examine the effects of ubrogepant for the acute treatment of a single migraine episode with or without aura. In both of these studies, participants were randomly assigned to receive either a particular dose of the drug or placebo. In the ACHIEVE I study, participants were randomly given either 50 mg or 100 mg of ubrogepant, or placebo. In the ACHIEVE II study, participants were assigned to 25 mg or 50 mg of ubrogepant, or placebo (Trugman, et al., 2019). In both studies, the researchers discovered that compared to the placebo group, a greater percentage of those who were given ubrogepant reported improved functioning, pain relief, and migraine that was much or very much improved two hours after it had been administered (Chaverneff, 2019).

Ubrogepant was also found to be well tolerated, with an adverse-event profile that was similar to placebo. The most common side effects reported within 48 hours of dosing were somnolence, nausea, and dry mouth. Moreover, less than five percent of participants reported these reactions.

Given the promising findings demonstrated by both of these phase III clinical trials, there is much interest in the progress of this novel acute migraine treatment. Stay tuned to our blog for the latest developments pertaining to ubrogepant and other migraine treatments in the pipeline.

 

Interested in learning more about Migraine research? Please call 561-845-0500. The Premiere Research Institute in West Palm Beach regularly conducts clinical research studies in the field of Migraines. To find out more about these studies click here or sign up for our newsletter to keep informed about the newest treatments, articles, and research that are being conducted in the field of Migraines.

 

References:

Chaverneff, F. (2019, June 12). Acute Treatment of Migraine With Ubrogepant Improves Function, Pain. Retrieved from https://www.neurologyadvisor.com/conference-highlights/aan-2019-conference/acute-treatment-of-migraine-with-ubrogepant-improves-function-pain/

Trugman, J. M., Dodick, D. W., Ailani, J., Lu, K., Lakkis, H., Finnegan, M., Lipton, R. B. (2019, April 9). Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Ubrogepant for the Acute Treatment of Migraine: Results From a Single-Attack Phase 3 Study, ACHIEVE II (S38.008). Retrieved from https://n.neurology.org/content/92/15_Supplement/S38.008