"Migraine is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, yet so many people who suffer from this condition do not receive treatment or report that they are not satisfied with their treatment," said study author Richard B. Lipton, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology in a press release.
“Improving care at the first signs of migraine, even before headache pain begins, can be a key to improved outcomes. Our findings are encouraging, suggesting that ubrogepant may help people with migraine function normally and go about their day,” he added.
Ubrogepant is a calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist. It is used for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults.
For the study, the researchers recruited 518 patients who had migraine for at least one year, and who experienced 2-8 migraine attacks per month with moderate-severe headache pain. All participants regularly experienced signs of migraine a few hours prior to onset.
The participants were asked to treat two attacks during a two-month period. Split into two groups, they either received a placebo for their first set of pre-headache migraine symptoms, followed by 100 mg of ubrogepant for the second bout of symptoms, or the inverse.
Twenty-four hours after treatment, the researchers found that 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. They additionally found that two hours after taking the medication, participants were 73% more likely to report ‘no disability, able to function normally’ than those on 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. This could lead to an improved quality of life for those living with migraine," said Lipton.
Sources: Science Daily, Neurology