A new drug could offer hope to migraine sufferers who have tried other treatments without success.
The study involved people up to the age of 14 Migraine A few days a month. People who took the new drug atogepant experienced an average of four fewer headache days per month, the study found.
The 309 people involved in the study tried two to four treatments for migraines, but found no improvement or side effects outweighing the benefits.
“These results are exciting because migraines are debilitating and this treatment can reduce the number of migraine days,” said study author Dr. Patricia Pozo-Rosich from the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona.
Atogepant is an inhibitor that blocks a protein that plays a key role in initiating the migraine process.
All study participants had migraines on at least four days in the month preceding the study.
Over a three-month period, half received the new drug and half received a placebo.
Those who took the drug experienced an average of four fewer migraine days, compared with two days for those who took the placebo.
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More people in the drug group experienced reductions in migraine days of 50 percent or more.
The group also found an improvement in the frequency with which they had to take medication to stop migraines.
The most common side effects were constipation, which occurred in 10% of people taking atogepant and 3% of those taking a placebo, and nausea, which occurred in 7% of people taking the drug and 3% of those taking a placebo.
“Those who think they may not find a way to prevent and treat migraines may wish to find migraine relief with a well-tolerated, easy-to-use oral medication,” Dr. Pozo-Rosich said.
“This treatment was safe, well tolerated, and effective in patients with refractory migraine.”
A limitation of the study is that it only lasted three months, and Dr. Pozo-Rosich said more research is needed to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of atogepant.
The study was supported by AbbVie, maker of the atogepant, and was presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.