A new study, published in the August 28, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that the drug ubrogepant may significantly reduce migraine symptoms when taken at the earliest signs, before headache pain sets in. This medication could enable individuals with migraines to maintain their daily activities with minimal or no disruption. (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Effect of Ubrogepant on Patient-Reported Outcomes When Administered During the Migraine Prodrome “Migraine is one of the most common diseases worldwide, yet many sufferers either don’t receive treatment or are dissatisfied with their current options,” said Dr. Richard B. Lipton, MD, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
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The study specifically examined individuals who could anticipate the onset of a migraine attack through early symptoms like sensitivity to light and sound, fatigue, neck pain or stiffness, or dizziness. Ubrogepant, a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, targets a protein involved in the migraine process, potentially offering effective relief.
Ubrogepant: A Promising Early Intervention for Migraine Relief
“Migraine is one of the most common diseases worldwide, yet many sufferers either don’t receive treatment or are dissatisfied with their current options,” said Dr. Richard B. Lipton, MD, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “Our study’s findings are promising, indicating that early intervention with ubrogepant could help individuals with migraines carry on with their day, even before headache pain begins.”
The study involved 518 participants who had migraine for at least one year and two to eight migraine attacks per month in the three months before the study. All of the participants regularly experienced signs that a migraine would be starting within the next few hours. Participants were asked to treat two attacks during a two-month period.
Researchers divided participants into two groups. The first group received a placebo for their first set of pre-headache symptoms of migraine, followed by taking 100 milligrams (mg) of ubrogepant for their second instance of symptoms. The second group took ubrogepant for the first instance and placebo for the second instance.
Participants evaluated limitations on their activity in their diary using a scale ranging from zero to five, with 0 meaning “not at all limited – I could do everything”; 1, “a little limited”; 2, “somewhat limited”; 3, “very limited”; or 4, “extremely limited.”
Twenty-four hours after taking the drug or a placebo, 65% of people who took ubrogepant reported themselves as “not at all limited – I could do everything,” or “a little limited,” compared to 48% of those who took the placebo.
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Ubrogepant Quickly Treat Migraine Attacks
Researchers found that as early as two hours post-medication, people who took the drug were 73% more likely to report that they had “no disability, able to function normally,” than those who took the placebo.
“Based on our findings, treatment with ubrogepant may allow people with migraine who experience early warning signs before a migraine occurs to quickly treat migraine attacks in their earliest stages and go about their daily lives with little discomfort and disruption,” said Lipton. “This could lead to an improved quality of life for those living with migraine.”
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Lipton noted that participants showed that based on their headache warning symptoms, they could reliably predict impending migraine headaches. These findings apply only to those with reliable warning symptoms.
A limitation of the study was that participants recorded their symptoms and medication use in electronic diaries, so it is possible some people may not have recorded all information accurately.
References:
- Effect of Ubrogepant on Patient-Reported Outcomes When Administered During the Migraine Prodrome – (https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209745/)
Source-Eurekalert
