Migraine medication Ubrelvy can stop headaches before they start

THURSDAY, Aug. 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A new clinical trial finds that a migraine drug may help stop devastating headaches immediately, allowing sufferers to go about their daily lives with few or no symptoms.

People who took ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) were 73% more likely to report no disability and to be able to function normally again within a few hours than people who took a placebo, researchers reported August 28 in the journal neurology.

“Based on our findings, treatment with ubrogepant may enable migraine patients who notice early warning signs before a migraine occurs to quickly treat migraine attacks at their earliest stages and go about their daily lives with little discomfort and disruption,” said researcher Dr. Richard Lipton, associate director of neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY.

“This could lead to an improved quality of life for migraine sufferers,” Lipton added.

The clinical trial, funded by drug manufacturer AbbVie, involved 518 patients who suffered from two to eight migraine attacks per month.

All participants regularly felt signs that a migraine would begin within the next few hours, such as sensitivity to light and noise, fatigue, neck pain or stiffness, dizziness or a visual aura, the researchers said.

Ubrogepant is a calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, or CGRP inhibitor. These medications work by blocking a small protein that plays a key role in pain transmission.

Participants were randomly given either a placebo or a 100-milligram ubrogepant tablet and were instructed to take it the next time they felt a migraine coming on.

The participants were then given either a placebo or ubrogepant – depending on which they had not received in the first round – and were asked to take the pill before the next migraine attack.

About 24 hours after taking the pill, 65% of people taking ubrogepant reported little or no migraine symptoms, compared with 48% of people taking a placebo.

“Migraine is one of the most common disorders in the world, and yet so many people suffering from this disease receive no treatment or report being dissatisfied with their treatment,” Lipton said in a journal press release.

“Better treatment at the first signs of a migraine, even before the headache starts, may be a key to better outcomes,” Lipton added. “Our results are encouraging and suggest that ubrogepant can help people with migraine to function normally and manage their daily lives.”

More information

The Association of Migraine Disorders has more information on CGRP inhibitors.

SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology, press release, August 28, 2024