Atogepant

Atogepant is an oral antagonist of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors indicated for the prevention of episodic migraine headaches. It was developed by AbbVie and received FDA approval under the brand name Qulipta in September 2021. While its approval was predated by two other members of the same drug family, namely ubrogepant and rimegepant, these agents are indicated only for abortive migraine therapy - atogepant is novel in that it is the first and only oral CGRP antagonist approved for preventative use in migraine. In December 2022, atogepant received Health Canada approval for the prevention of episodic migraine in adults. It also received approval for preventive treatment of adult migraine by the EMA in August 2023.

In patients requiring preventative migraine therapy, current practice guidelines recommend the use of certain anti-epileptic medications (e.g. valproic acid or topiramate) or beta-blockers (e.g. propranolol), all of which can be associated with significant adverse effects. The "gepants" family of drugs, including atogepant, are comparatively well-tolerated and may provide a desirable treatment option for patients struggling with adverse reactions to other preventative therapies.