New pill for chronic migraines rolled out on NHS

A PILL to prevent chronic and episodic migraines will be rolled out on the NHS, with some 170,000 sufferers eligible.

A migraine charity has called for “swift” access to the drug to ensure patients struggling with crippling headaches “can benefit from them as quickly as possible”.

Atogepant – sold under the brand name Aquipta and made by Abbvie – has been given the green light for NHS use under new final draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).

Nice has previously backed other pills to prevent episodic and chronic migraines, with many sufferers struggling to find treatment that works for them. Many of those in the chronic category – which means at least 15 days of attacks a month – end up having to resort to injections.

Nice said the new pills offered more choice for patients, who are eligible if they have at least four migraine days per month and where at least three previous preventive treatments have failed.

The pill works by blocking the receptor of a protein in the sensory nerves of the head and neck, known as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP makes blood vessels dilate, which can lead to inflammation and migraine.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: “Currently, the most effective options for people with chronic migraines who have already tried three preventative treatments are drugs that need to be injected. The committee heard from patient experts that some people cannot have injectable treatments, for example because they have an allergy or phobia of needles. So, some people with chronic migraines would welcome an oral treatment.”

She added that Aquipta also “offers more choice” for people who suffer epi- sodic migraines, which happen on fewer than 15 days of the month.

According to The Migraine Trust, about 10 million adults in the UK are living with the condition.

Rob Music, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We now need to ensure access is swift, so that migraine patients can benefit from them as quickly as possible.”

The guidance for England comes after Aquipta was recommended for use in Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) in October last year.

Nice recommends that Aquipta should be stopped after 12 weeks if chronic migraines do not reduce by at least 30 per cent and episodic migraine by at least 50 per cent.

If there are no appeals against its final draft guidance, Nice is expected to publish its final guidance on the drug next month.