NEW NASAL SPRAY ZAPS MIGRAINES!
ADULTS who suffer with migraines will soon have another option to curb the debilitating headaches — the FDA recently approved a breakthrough nasal spray treatment that experts are touting as a safer alternative for patients at risk of heart attacks or strokes.
Zavegepant, which will be sold under the brand name Zavzpret, works by blocking the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) — a protein released in the brain that contributes to painful inflammation, scientists say.
Several existing pills block CGRP, but physicians point out many people with migraines also experience nausea and vomiting and have difficulty taking oral medications.
While there are other prescription nasal sprays currently available to treat migraines, those contain triptans — a class of drugs that relieves agonizing headaches by binding to serotonin receptors. But triptans are generally not recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases because of their potential to narrow arteries and trigger heart attacks and strokes.
In two clinical trials, participants who used zavegepant were more likely to be painfree within two hours than patients in the placebo group — and some found relief as soon as 15 minutes after receiving a 10mg dose. About one in five of those who took the medication reported a briefly altered sense of taste.
“As a nasal spray with rapid drug absorption, Zavzpret offers an alternative treatment option for people who need pain relief or cannot take oral medications,” says trial investigator Dr. Kathleen Mullin, the associate medical director at New England Institute for Neurology & Headache.
Zavzpret is expected to be available in pharmacies by July.