A recent study indicates that atogepant, a novel headache drug, can significantly reduce migraine days in individuals with chronic migraines and may prevent the overuse of pain medication, a common issue among this patient population. The findings, presented by researchers at King’s College London, suggest that atogepant could improve the quality of life for patients by decreasing the frequency of migraines and the reliance on painkillers.
The study, involving 755 adults from 142 centers worldwide, included a substantial proportion (66%) of participants who were overusing migraine medications. Participants were randomized into three groups: one receiving 30mg of atogepant twice daily, another receiving 60mg of atogepant once daily, and a placebo control group. The primary endpoint was the change in monthly migraine days.
Significant Reduction in Migraine Days
The results demonstrated that 44.7% of participants in the 30mg atogepant group and 41.8% in the 60mg group experienced a greater than 50% reduction in migraine days per month, compared to only 24.9% in the placebo group. Among participants who did not overuse medication, 39.1% in the 30mg group and 39.5% in the 60mg group achieved a similar reduction, versus 28.6% in the placebo group. These findings underscore the potential of atogepant as a preventive treatment for chronic migraines.
Preventing Medication Overuse
Professor Peter Goadsby, professor of neurology at King’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, and the study’s lead author, emphasized the importance of preventing medication overuse. "There is a high prevalence of pain medication overuse among people with migraines as they try to manage what are often debilitating symptoms. However, overuse of medication can lead to more headaches, and this problem is ideally treated by prevention," he stated.
Goadsby added, "Based on this, treatment with atogepant may potentially decrease the risk of developing rebound headache by reducing the use of pain medications, and could lead to an improved quality of life for patients."
Clinical Implications and Future Research
The study's findings have significant clinical implications, particularly given the high prevalence of chronic migraines and the associated disability. Around 1%-2% of people worldwide suffer from migraines, experiencing debilitating headaches at least 15 days a month. The availability of a treatment that reduces both migraine frequency and the need for painkillers represents a major advancement in migraine management.
Researchers plan to conduct further investigations to assess the long-term effectiveness of atogepant. In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has already recommended atogepant for the prevention of chronic and episodic migraines, further validating its clinical utility.
