‘Smart’ drug spells the end of migraine pain for millions

A SELF-injected “smart drug” could reduce migraines for millions of sufferers.

The antibody, called erenumab, can cut episodic migraine attacks by more than half in a large proportion of cases.

The drug, administered with a self-injection device similar to those used by diabetics, was tested on 246 patients who had failed to respond to up to four other treatments.

In the trial, migraine sufferers were given injections of erenumab or a dummy placebo drug once a month for three months.

Of the participants, 39 per cent had been treated unsuccessfully with two other medications, 38 per cent with three medications and 23 per cent with four medications.

Trial leader Dr Uwe Reuter, from the Charite University Medicine Berlin, in Germany, said: “The people in our study were considered more difficult to treat, meaning up to four other preventative treatments hadn’t worked for them. Our study found that erenumab reduced the average number of monthly migraine headaches by more than 50 per cent for nearly a third of study participants.

“That reduction in migraine frequency can greatly improve a person’s quality of life.”

The drug works by targeting and blocking a pain-signalling molecule in the brain called calcitonin gene-related peptide.

Erenumab, marketed by global drug company Novartis under the brand name Aimovig, is not yet licensed for use in the UK.

Dr Mark Toms, of Novartis UK, said: “There has been no real advancement in migraine treatment for the past 20 years.

“We’re proud to be breaking new ground in neurology for the millions of people in the UK living with the painful and disruptive symptoms of migraine.

“While this data does further reinforce erenumab’s efficacy and safety profile, it also highlights the clear unmet need that exists for targeted migraine prophylactic treatment.

“We are committed to working closely with the relevant regulatory bodies to make erenumab available to those that need it as soon as possible.”

Migraine is a neurological disorder marked by headaches that range in severity from moderate to highly painful.

Other symptoms include nausea and light sensitivity.

Each day, an estimated 200,000 people in the UK experience a migraine attack.

Attacks can last from four hours to three days and may prevent the sufferer from going to work or participating in normal activities.

People affected by episodic migraine may have up to 14 headache days a month.

Migraines have also been linked with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.

The trial’s findings will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting, in Los Angeles next week.