In a new study, researchers found that a pill called ubrogepant could work effectively in halting migraines in progress.
This means migraine sufferers who cannot get relief from existing medications may soon have a novel treatment option.
The research was conducted by a team from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
The drug has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But it belongs to a new class of medications called CGRP inhibitors that has come to the market in the past year.
CGRP is a small protein released by the trigeminal nerve during migraine attacks. It’s believed to play a key role in generating migraine misery.
Currently, the three approved CGRP inhibitors are all injection drugs that are used regularly, to prevent migraine attacks.
According to the researchers, the new pill ubrogepant is different because it’s a tablet that treats migraines in progress.
Another oral “gepant,” called rimegepant, is also in the pipeline. Data on both drugs have been submitted to the FDA for approval, according to the companies developing them.
In the study, the team tested nearly 1,700 patients and found that ubrogepant worked better than a placebo at easing pain and other migraine symptoms, such as nausea and sensitivity to light or sound.
In patients who used the real drug to treat a migraine attack, 22% of those on a higher dose were pain-free within two hours. That compared with 14% of the placebo group.
Similarly, 39% of ubrogepant users were free of their “most bothersome” symptom within two hours, versus 27% of placebo users.
The team believes the new drug could make a big difference for certain migraine patients.
They include people who do not get relief from current acute treatments and those who cannot take the medications because of side effects or safety concerns.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Richard Lipton, who directs the Montefiore Headache Center.
The study is published in JAMA.
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