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In a groundbreaking study published in the August 28, 2024, online issue of Neurology, researchers have found that the medication ubrogepant, when taken at the first signs of a migraine, may significantly reduce or prevent headache symptoms, allowing individuals to carry on with their daily activities with minimal disruption.
Ubrogepant, a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, targets a protein closely linked to the migraine process. The study, led by Dr. Richard B. Lipton of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, offers new hope for the millions of people worldwide who suffer from migraines.
“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 Dr. Lipton, a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “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.”
The study included 518 participants who had experienced migraines for at least one year, with a frequency of two to eight migraine attacks per month. These individuals were particularly adept at recognizing early warning signs of an impending migraine, such as sensitivity to light and sound, fatigue, neck pain, or dizziness.
Participants were asked to treat two separate migraine attacks during a two-month period. They were divided into two groups: one group took a placebo for their first set of pre-headache symptoms and 100 milligrams of ubrogepant for the second, while the other group did the reverse.
Participants recorded their experiences in an electronic diary, rating how much their activities were limited on a scale from 0 (not at all limited) to 4 (extremely limited). The results were striking. Twenty-four hours after treatment, 65% of participants who took ubrogepant reported either no limitations or only slight limitations on their activities, compared to 48% of those who took a placebo.
Moreover, just two hours after taking ubrogepant, participants were 73% more likely to report “no disability” and normal functioning than those who took the placebo. Dr. Lipton emphasized that these findings could mark a significant advancement in migraine treatment, particularly for individuals who can reliably predict an impending migraine based on early symptoms.
“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,” said Dr. Lipton. “This could lead to an improved quality of life for those living with migraine.”
The study did acknowledge a potential limitation: the reliance on participants to record their symptoms and medication use in electronic diaries, which could introduce variability in the accuracy of the data. Nonetheless, the findings represent a promising development in the fight against migraines, potentially transforming how this debilitating condition is managed.
