The triptan formulations : how to match patients and products

International Headache Society global practice recommendations for the acute pharmacological treatment of migraine

BACKGROUND

In an effort to improve migraine management around the world, the International Headache Society (IHS) has here developed a list of practical recommendations for the acute pharmacological treatment of migraine. The recommendations are categorized into optimal and essential, in order to provide treatment options for all possible settings, including those with limited access to migraine medications.

METHODS

An IHS steering committee developed a list of clinical questions based on practical issues in the management of migraine. A selected group of international senior and junior headache experts developed the recommendations, following expert consensus and the review of available national and international headache guidelines and guidance documents. Following the initial search, a bibliography of twenty-one national and international guidelines was created and reviewed by the working group.

RESULTS

A total of seventeen questions addressing different aspects of acute migraine treatment have been outlined. For each of them we provide an optimal recommendation, to be used whenever possible, and an essential recommendation to be used when the optimal level cannot be attained.

CONCLUSION

Adoption of these international recommendations will improve the quality of acute migraine treatment around the world, even where pharmacological options remain limited.

Revisiting Migraine: The Evolving Pathophysiology and the Expanding Management Armamentarium

Migraine affects about one billion people worldwide yearly and is one of the most common neurologic illnesses, with a high prevalence and morbidity, particularly among young adults and females. Migraine is associated with many comorbidities, including stress, sleep difficulties, and suicidal ideation. Migraine, despite its widespread occurrence, is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Because of the complicated and primarily unknown mechanisms of migraine formation, several social and biological risk factors, such as hormone imbalances, genetic and epigenetic impacts, and cardiovascular, neurological, and autoimmune illnesses, have been proposed. Through the mid-20th century diversion of the now-defunct vascular theory, the pathophysiology of migraine has developed from a historical study of the "humours" to a distinct entity as a neurological disorder. The range of therapeutic targets has broadened significantly, increasing the number of specialized clinical trials. Understanding the biology of migraine through careful research has resulted in the identification of major therapeutic classes: (i) triptans, serotonin 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonists, (ii) gepants, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists, (iii) ditans, 5-HT1F receptor agonists, (iv) CGRP monoclonal antibodies, and (v) glurants, mGlu5 modulators, with further targets being explored. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the most recent literature on epidemiology and risk factors and exposes knowledge gaps.

Safety and Risk of Medication Overuse Headache in Lasmiditan and Second-Generation Gepants: A Rapid Review

The treatment of migraine is often complicated by insufficient headache relief, a miscellany of side effects and the risk of developing Medication Overuse Headache (MOH). Novel acute therapies have been recently developed and are now in the early post-marketing phase. Lasmiditan is a highly selective serotonin receptor agonist that binds to the 5-HT_1F receptor, while ubrogepant and rimegepant antagonize the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor. All three medications are now prescribed in a real-world setting, and an adequate level of knowledge is the starting point for rational use. In this rapid systematic review, we have established what is known about lasmiditan, ubrogepant and rimegepant, highlighting the most relevant safety aspects available from published studies and speculating about their risk of MOH.

Stimuli-responsive In situ gelling system for nose-to-brain drug delivery

The diagnosis and treatment of neurological ailments always remain an utmost challenge for research fraternity due to the presence of BBB. The intranasal route appeared as an attractive and alternative route for brain targeting of therapeutics without the intrusion of BBB and GI exposure. This route directly and effectively delivers the therapeutics to different regions of the brain via olfactory and trigeminal nerve pathways. However, shorter drug retention time and mucociliary clearance curtail the efficiency of the intranasal route. The in situ mucoadhesive gel overthrow the limitations of direct nose-to-brain delivery by not only enhancing nasal residence time but also minimizing the mucociliary clearance and enzymatic degradation. This delivery system further improves the nasal absorption as well as bioavailability of drugs in the brain. The in situ mucoadhesive gel is a controlled and sustained release system that facilitates the absorption of various proteins, peptides and other larger lipophilic and hydrophilic moieties. Owing to multiple benefits, in situ gelling system has been widely explored to target the brain via nasal route. However, very few review works are reported which explains the application of in situ nasal gel for brain delivery of CNS acting moieties. Hence, in this piece of work, we have initially discussed the global statistics of neurological disorders reported by WHO and other reputed organizations, nasal anatomy, mechanism and challenges of nose-to-brain drug delivery. The work mainly focused on the use of different stimuli-responsive polymers, specifically thermoresponsive, pH-responsive, and ion triggered systems for the development of an effective and controlled dosage form, i.e., in situ nasal gel for brain targeting of bioactives. We have also highlighted the origin, structure, nature and phase transition behavior of the smart polymers found suitable for nasal administration, including poloxamer, chitosan, EHEC, xyloglucan, Carbopol, gellan gum and DGG along with their application in the treatment of neurological disorders. The article is aimed to gather all the information of the past 10 years related to the development and application of stimuli-responsive in situ nasal gel for brain drug delivery.

Acute Treatment of Migraine

All patients with migraine merit acute treatment, which should optimally achieve a sustained pain-free response. Maximum acute treatment is associated with reduced risk of transformation of episodic to chronic migraine. The American Headache Society published the most recent complete evidence assessment of acute migraine treatments in 2015. Noninvasive neuromodulation represents a new, Food and Drug Administration-approved nonsignificant risk alternative for acute migraine therapy. The future of acute migraine treatment includes new devices and formulations of existing medications, new classes of acute medications, and new noninvasive nonsignificant risk neuromodulation devices, with many anticipated in the next few years.

Comparison of healthcare resource utilization and costs among patients with migraine with potentially adequate and insufficient triptan response

Background

Triptans are the most commonly prescribed acute treatments for migraine; however, not all triptan users experience adequate response. Information on real-world resource use and costs associated with triptan insufficient response are limited.

Methods

A retrospective claims analysis using US commercial health plan data between 2012 and 2015 assessed healthcare resource use and costs in adults with a migraine diagnosis newly initiating triptans. Patients who either did not refill triptans but used other non-triptan medications or refilled triptans but also filled non-triptan medications over a 24-month follow-up period were designated as potential triptan insufficient responders. Patients who continued filling only triptans (i.e. triptan-only continuers) were designated as potential adequate responders. All-cause and migraine-related resource use and total (medical and pharmacy) costs over months 1–12 and months 13–24 were compared between triptan-only continuers and potential triptan insufficient responders.

Results

Among 10,509 new triptan users, 4371 (41%) were triptan-only continuers, 3102 (30%) were potential triptan insufficient responders, and 3036 (29%) did not refill their index triptan or fill non-triptan medications over 24 months’ follow-up. Opioids were the most commonly used non-triptan treatment (68%) among potential triptan insufficient responders over 24 months of follow-up. Adjusted mean all-cause and migraine-related total costs were $5449 and $2905 higher, respectively, among potential triptan insufficient responders versus triptan-only continuers over the first 12 months.

Conclusions

In a US commercial health plan, almost one-third of new triptan users were potential triptan insufficient responders and the majority filled opioid prescriptions. Potential triptan insufficient responder patients had significantly higher all-cause and migraine-related healthcare utilization and costs than triptan-only continuers.

A novel nasal almotriptan loaded solid lipid nanoparticles in mucoadhesive in situ gel formulation for brain targeting: Preparation, characterization and in vivo evaluation

This work aimed at designing efficient safe delivery system for intranasal (IN) brain targeting of the water soluble anti- migraine drug Almotriptan malate (ALM). Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were prepared by w/o/w double emulsion-solvent evaporation method. Selection of the optimized SLNs formula was based on evaluating particle size (PS), poly dispersity index (PDI) and entrapment efficiency (%EE). Optimized formula exhibited acceptable ranges; PS of 207.9 nm, PDI of 0.41 and %EE of 50.81%. Poloxamer 407 (Plx) at different concentrations (16%, 18%, 20% w/v), with different mucoadhesive polymers (Carbopol-974P, Na alginate, Na-CMC) were evaluated for gelling time and temperature, pH and mucoadhesion. The chosen mucoadhesive in-situ gel formula; 18% Plx 407 based-0.75%w/v Na-CMC, showed acceptable results, so that the optimized SLNs formula was further dispersed in it and evaluated for in vitro release, stability, in vivo and pharmacokinetics studies. Biomarkers' evaluation and histopathological examination were also investigated. Results revealed rapid ALM brain delivery of the optimized formula; Brain/blood ratios at 10 min. for NF (SLNs based IN in-situ gel), ND (Free ALM IN in situ gel) and ALM i.v. (ALM IV solution) were 0.89, 0.19 and 0.31, respectively. Toxicological results confirmed the safety of NF for nasal administration. The achieved out comings are encouraging for further clinical trials of the developed system in humans in future research.

Migraine Treatment: Current Acute Medications and Their Potential Mechanisms of Action

Migraine is a common and disabling primary headache disorder with a significant socioeconomic burden. The management of migraine is multifaceted and is generally dichotomized into acute and preventive strategies, with several treatment modalities. The aims of acute pharmacological treatment are to rapidly restore function with minimal recurrence, with the avoidance of side effects. The choice of pharmacological treatment is individualized, and is based on the consideration of the characteristics of the migraine attack, the patient's concomitant medical problems, and treatment preferences. Notwithstanding, a good understanding of the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of the various drug options is essential to guide therapy. The current approach and concepts relevant to the acute pharmacological treatment of migraine will be explored in this review.

Infrequent or Non-Response to Oral Sumatriptan does not Predict Response to Other Triptans—Review of Four Trials

A migraineur can claim to be an infrequent responder (‘non-responder’) to an oral triptan independent of which triptan he or she is presently using. Four trials of an alternative triptan (zolmitriptan/rizatriptan; eletriptan; naratriptan; almotriptan) in patients with a history of infrequent response to oral sumatriptan were compared and contrasted in terms of study design, patient characteristics, and efficacy and tolerability of the triptan under investigation. Unfortunately, none of the reported studies used an appropriate parallel design, which would have had the non-responding triptan (oral sumatriptan) in one arm and without encapsulation. While the four trials differed in terms of study design (open-label vs. placebo-controlled), definition of sumatriptan ‘non-responder’ (retrospective vs. prospective) and pain intensity at baseline (30% severe to 70% severe), all four demonstrated that lack of response to sumatriptan did not predict lack of response to an alternative triptan. Changing triptans resulted in 2-h pain-relief rates of 25–81% in patients with a history of poor response to sumatriptan. It can be concluded that migraine patients who respond infrequently to sumatriptan should be switched to a different triptan, as lack of response to one triptan does not predict likelihood of responsiveness to another. A review of the available evidence suggests that almotriptan may be one of the most appropriate choices for an alternative triptan.

Sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal system for acute treatment of episodic migraine

Migraine is a common and debilitating condition affecting approximately nearly one in four women in the USA and Europe. Episodic attacks can be associated with a number of symptoms, with nausea and/or vomiting being among the most frequent and distressing. Sumatriptan is widely used for acute treatment of migraine and is available in several formulations. The efficacy of oral sumatriptan is well-established. However, patients who experience migraine-associated nausea and/or vomiting can have difficulty swallowing tablets and may delay taking anti-migraine medication. In addition, absorption of oral sumatriptan can be reduced by migraine-associated gastroparesis. Non-oral formulations of sumatriptan are recommended for patients with nausea and/or vomiting, but their use may be limited by adverse effects and patient acceptance. A new transdermal formulation of sumatriptan has recently become available in the USA for acute treatment of migraine in adults. In this article, we review the properties of the sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal patch and discuss the evidence to support its use in clinical practice.

The pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of AVP-825: a potential advancement for acute treatment of migraine

INTRODUCTION

Oral triptans have dominated the prescription market for acute treatment of migraine for nearly 25 years. Today, patients often express dissatisfaction with prescribed acute treatment in part because they do not have confidence that the therapy will provide consistent efficacy over time. Major limitations to sustained successful use of oral triptans are their relatively slow onset of meaningful clinical benefit and variable absorption/efficacy due to impaired gastrointestinal function during migraine. AVP-825, a new intranasal delivery system for sumatriptan , may be an effective alternative to oral triptans.

AREAS COVERED

This article reviews AVP-825, which deposits low-dose sumatriptan powder deep into the vascular mucosa of the posterior nose, allowing rapid absorption of drug into the systemic circulation. Studies suggest that AVP-825 is a highly effective, well-tolerated acute treatment for episodic migraine.

EXPERT OPINION

Oral triptans are limited in providing effective patient-centered outcomes to migraine patients. Failed or suboptimal abortive treatment of migraine is a major driver of migraine chronification and increases in healthcare costs. AVP-825 is an easy to use, novel, breath-powered intranasal delivery system that provides early onset of efficacy with low systemic drug exposure and few triptan-associated adverse events. AVP-825 will be a welcomed therapeutic tool for the acute treatment of migraine.

Introduction to the Guideline, and General Principles of Acute Migraine Management

Objectives:

To provide an overview of the objectives and target population of the guideline, and to review the general principles of acute pharmacological migraine therapy.

Methods:

A general literature review and several consensus groups were used to formulate an expert consensus for the general use of acute migraine medications.

Results:

The objective of the guideline is to assist the physician in choosing an appropriate acute migraine medication for an individual with migraine, and thereby to reduce migraine-related disability. The target population includes adults with episodic migraine (patients with migraine headache < 15 days/month). This guideline is intended primarily for physicians who treat patients with migraine. Other health professionals may also find this guideline helpful. Acute migraine therapy should be considered for the great majority of patients with migraine. A specific acute medication is chosen based on evidence for efficacy, tolerability, migraine attack severity, patient preference, and on the presence of co-existing disorders. General principles of acute migraine therapy include that the response of a patient to any given medication cannot be predicted with certainty, and that treatment early in the attack is generally more effective than treatment later once the migraine attack is fully developed. A suitable treatment approach (stratified or stepped approaches) and drug formulation (injection, tablet, wafer, powdered formulation, or nasal spray) should be chosen based on patient clinical features. Excessively frequent use of acute medications (medication overuse) should be avoided. Two or more acute medications can be combined if necessary.

Conclusions:

This guideline provides evidence-based advice on the use of acute medications for migraine, and should provide useful guidance for acute migraine therapy to both health professionals and patients.

Pharmacological Acute Migraine Treatment Strategies: Choosing the Right Drug for a Specific Patient

Background:

In our targeted review (Section 2), 12 acute medications received a strong recommendation for use in acute migraine therapy while four received a weak recommendation for use. Strong recommendations were made to avoid use of two other medications, except for exceptional circumstances. Two anti-emetics received strong recommendations for use as needed.

Objective:

To organize the available acute migraine medications into acute migraine treatment strategies in order to assist the practitioner in choosing a specific medication(s) for an individual patient.

Methods:

Acute migraine treatment strategies were developed based on the targeted literature review used for the development of this guideline (Section 2), and a general literature review. Expert consensus groups were used to refine and validate these strategies.

Results:

Based on evidence for drug efficacy, drug side effects, migraine severity, and coexistent medical disorders, our analysis resulted in the formulation of eight general acute migraine treatment strategies. These could be grouped into four categories: 1) two mild-moderate attack strategies, 2) two moderate-severe attack or NSAID failure strategies, 3) three refractory migraine strategies, and 4) a vasoconstrictor unresponsive-contraindicated strategy. In addition, strategies were developed for menstrual migraine, migraine during pregnancy, and migraine during lactation. The eight general treatment strategies were coordinated with a “combined acute medication approach” to therapy which used features of both the “stratified” and the “step care across attacks” approaches to acute migraine management.

Conclusions:

The available medications for acute migraine treatment can be organized into a series of strategies based on patient clinical features. These strategies may help practitioners make appropriate acute medication choices for patients with migraine.

Acupuncture for acute migraine attacks in adults: a systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Acupuncture has been used worldwide for migraine attacks. This systematic review aims to assess if acupuncture is effective and safe in relieving headache, preventing relapse and reducing migraine-associated symptoms for the treatment of acute migraine attacks in adults.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will search the following seven databases from inception to February 2015: MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and four Chinese databases (Chinese Biomedical Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database and Wanfang Database). Any randomised controlled trials in English or Chinese related to acupuncture for acute migraine attacks will be included. Conference abstracts and reference lists of included manuscripts will also be searched. The study inclusion, data extraction and quality assessment will be conducted independently by two reviewers. Meta-analysis will be performed using RevMan V.5.3.5 statistical software.

DISSEMINATION

The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and/or conference presentations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42014013352.

[Current state of knowledge and developments in the prophylaxis and acute treatment of migraine]

For the acute treatment of the headache phase of a migraine attack, a variety of different pharmacotherapeutic treatment options exist. These range from nonspecifically acting non-opioid analgesics (e.g., paracetamol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory substances (e.g., acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac) to agents specifically interfering with the serotonin system (ergot alkaloids such as ergotamine and its derivatives, triptans). In patients with significant emesis co-occurring during an attack, additional antiemetics such as metoclopramide or domperidone may be administered. In migraine prophylaxis, largely divergent agents, e.g., β-adrenoceptor antagonists, Ca-antagonists, or anticonvulsants, are commonly used. The diversity of these compounds may help the treating physician to tailor prophylactic treatment to the patient's individual needs. The treatment success of the individual patient is difficult to predict both in acute and prophylactic migraine treatment. Apart from contraindications or associated side effects of a particular substance, the individual patient's response to treatment is therefore a major determinant in selecting the suitable medication.

A review of the use of frovatriptan in the treatment of menstrually related migraine

Menstrual migraine (MM) is a highly prevalent condition associated with considerable disability. Migraine attacks occur exclusively around the menstrual period in approximately 10% of women with migraine, that is, pure menstrual migraine, while at least 50% of them also experience migraine at other times of the month, that is, menstrually related migraine (MRM). The therapeutic approach to patients with MRM is based on treatment of the attack, or prophylactic strategies. Triptans are recommended as first-line treatments for moderate to severe migraine attacks, including MM. Frovatriptan is one of the newest triptans. Its high affinity for 5-HT1B/1D receptors and long half-life contribute to its distinctive clinical effect, characterized by a more sustained and prolonged effect than other triptans. Indeed, frovatriptan proved to be effective in treating the acute attack, but was particularly effective in the short-term preventive therapy of MM. In addition, frovatriptan is one of the safest triptans, with the lowest risk of treatment-emergent adverse events. Following extensive evidence from randomized pharmacological trials, frovatriptan has now gained a grade A recommendation from the guidelines for short-term prophylaxis of MM. Recent post-hoc analyses of direct comparative trials also suggest that frovatriptan might have an important role in the acute treatment of MRM. In these studies, frovatriptan showed pain relief and pain-free rates similar to those of zolmitriptan, rizatriptan, and almotriptan, but with significantly lower recurrence rates. More well-designed, randomized, prospective studies, specifically enrolling women with MM, will be needed in the near future to confirm the efficacy of frovatriptan in this migraine subtype.

Acute treatment of migraines

Migraine is a prevalent and disabling brain disorder that costs billions of dollars annually in direct healthcare costs, and school and work absenteeism and presenteeism. The objective of acute treatment is a cost-effective, rapid restoration of functional ability, with minimal recurrence and adverse effects. The acute treatment of migraine includes specific drugs, which currently all have vasoconstrictive effects (dihydroergotamine and triptans), and nonspecific drugs that include paracetamol (acetaminophen), combination analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), dopamine antagonists, narcotics and corticosteroids. NSAIDs have both peripheral and central effects on reversing migraine, and so may represent the best alternative for patients who cannot use triptans and ergots due to vascular contraindications. Narcotics and habituating medications should be avoided in the acute treatment of migraine, as the risk for transformation to chronic daily headache is excessively high at a relatively infrequent rate of exposure.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of zolmitriptan for the treatment of migraines

INTRODUCTION

Migraine is a multifactorial neurovascular disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of disabling pain attacks, accompanied with gastrointestinal, neurological systems dysfunction. The pharmacologic treatment of migraine is classically divided in the management of the acute attack and preventive strategies. Acute treatments consist of triptan, ergot, opioid, antiemetic and NSAIDs.

AREAS COVERED

This article discusses pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of zolmitriptan . The data were obtained by searching the following keywords in MEDLINE: zolmitriptan, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, triptans, migraine, menstrual-related migraine, cluster headache, relatively to the period 1989 - 2012.

EXPERT OPINION

Zolmitriptan has been considered effective treatment in the acute phase of migraine, menstrual-related migraine and cluster headache attacks. Pharmacokinetic parameters may vary as a consequence of gender differences, inter- and intra-subjects variability and delivery system. Zolmitriptan was developed with the aim of obtaining a lipophilic compound in order to be more rapidly absorbed and centrally active. Pharmacologically, pharmacokinetic parameters are responsible for its wide efficacy and the limited adverse effect profile.

A sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal system for the acute treatment of migraine

OBJECTIVE

Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, occur almost universally at one time or another in patients during a migraine attack. One third of patients who experience migraine-related nausea report that this symptom interferes with their ability to take oral medications. The sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal system (NuPathe Inc., Conshohocken, PA, USA) uses proprietary technology to circumvent the gastrointestinal tract while delivering triptan therapy. This phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of this system for the acute treatment of migraine.

METHODS

Patients were randomized to treat a single moderate-to-severe migraine attack with the sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal system or placebo. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who were headache pain-free 2 hours after patch activation. Other end points included the proportions of patients who reported headache pain relief, and freedom from nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia; rescue medication use; and tolerability.

RESULTS

Four hundred sixty-nine patients were treated. Significantly more patients treated with the sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal system compared with placebo experienced freedom from headache pain, nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia 2 hours after patch activation, experienced rapid and sustained headache pain relief, and used less rescue medication. Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported by 50% and 44% of patients treated with the sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal system and placebo, respectively. Most events were transient mild-to-moderate application-site reactions.

CONCLUSIONS

The sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal system is effective and well tolerated, and may be particularly useful in patients with migraine-related gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea.

Twelve-month tolerability and efficacy study of NP101, the sumatriptan iontophoretic transdermal system

OBJECTIVE

To assess the long-term tolerability and efficacy of NP101, a novel transdermal sumatriptan patch being developed for the acute treatment of migraine.

BACKGROUND

Nausea (with or without vomiting) and gastroparesis have been characterized as being among the most problematic challenges affecting migraine care today. Migraine-associated nausea can cause patients to delay or avoid taking oral medication with a resultant loss or reduction of therapeutic efficacy. Migraine-associated gastroparesis can impair absorption and reduce bioavailability of oral migraine medications and thereby reduce and delay therapeutic efficacy. The non-oral triptan formulations that have been used to overcome these challenges are associated with other shortcomings that can limit their use. Designed to overcome these shortcomings and treatment limitations imposed by gastrointestinal signs and symptoms, the NP101 patch avoids the need for oral administration, does not depend upon gastrointestinal absorption, and provides more consistent, predictable plasma concentrations than oral and intranasal formulations of sumatriptan and a lower maximum plasma concentration than sumatriptan injection.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with migraine who had participated in a randomized, double-blind, Phase III study of the NP101 patch were given the option to use NP101 to treat migraine episodes with moderate or severe headache pain for up to 12 months in this open-label trial.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-three patients applied 2089 study patches. The most common adverse events involved the patch application site (45% of patients). The only non-application-site adverse events reported in >2% of patients were nausea (n=6, 3.3%), upper respiratory tract infection (n=6, 3.3%), and nasopharyngitis (n=4, 2.2%). The incidence of triptan-associated adverse events was 1.6%. Across all visits for investigator assessments, the majority of patients (ranging from 74.7% at Month 1 to 92.2% at Month 9) were scored as having no erythema at patch application sites. For patient assessments, the percentage of patch placement sites scored as having no or minimal redness was 38.2% at the time of patch removal and 65.4% 24 hours after patch activation. Two hours after patch activation across all patch treatments over the 12-month study, 23.8% of initial acute migraine episodes were scored as being free from headache pain, 58.2% as having headache pain relief,78.9% as nausea free, 60.1% as phonophobia free, 53.4% as photophobia free, and 20.7% as migraine free. No evidence of waning tolerability or efficacy was observed over the 12-month study period.

CONCLUSION

NP101, a transdermal sumatriptan formulation in development for the acute treatment of migraine, demonstrated tolerability and efficacy with successive uses over 12 months in this clinical trial.

Rescue therapy for acute migraine, part 1: triptans, dihydroergotamine, and magnesium

OBJECTIVE

To review and analyze published reports on the acute treatment of migraine headache with triptans, dihydroergotamine (DHE), and magnesium in emergency department, urgent care, and headache clinic settings.

METHODS

MEDLINE was searched using the terms "migraine" and "emergency," and "therapy" or "treatment." Reports from emergency department and urgent care settings that involved all routes of medication delivery were included. Reports from headache clinic settings were included only if medications were delivered by a parenteral route.

RESULTS

Acute rescue treatment studies involving the triptans were available for injectable and nasal sumatriptan, as well as rizatriptan. Effectiveness varied widely, even when the pain-free and pain-relief statistics were evaluated separately. As these medications are known to work best early in the migraine, part of this variability may be attributed to the timing of triptan administration. Multiple studies compared triptans with anti-emetics, dopamine antagonists, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The overall percentage of patients with pain relief after taking sumatriptan was roughly equivalent to that recorded with droperidol and prochlorperazine. Sumatriptan was equivalent to DHE when only paired comparisons were performed. While the data extracted suggest that magnesium may be effective in treating all symptoms in patients experiencing migraine with aura across all migraine patients, its effectiveness seems to be limited to treating only photophobia and phonophobia.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there are relatively few studies involving health-care provider-administered triptans or DHE for acute rescue, they appear to be equivalent to the dopamine antagonists for migraine pain relief. The relatively rare inclusion of a placebo arm and the frequent use of combination medications in active treatment arms complicate the comparison of single agents with each other.

Needle-free subcutaneous sumatriptan for triptan users requiring a change in migraine therapy: efficacy and impact on patient-rated functionality, satisfaction, and confidence

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate efficacy of, satisfaction with, and confidence in SDP (SUMAVEL DosePro *) among triptan users requiring a change in therapy. SDP is a needle-free, subcutaneous sumatriptan product that confers relief as early as 10 minutes postdose.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In an open-label study, SDP was administered for ≤4 migraine attacks over ≤60 days by migraineurs currently treated with triptans (any form/dosage). In the 90 patients with baseline Migraine-ACT scores ≤2 (indicating the need for a change in therapy), efficacy data were collected from patient diaries, and satisfaction was measured with the revised Patient Perception of Migraine Questionnaire (PPMQ-R).

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01016834 on clinicaltrials.gov.

RESULTS

Across all attacks, the rates of pain relief were 30.7%, 66.4%, 80.1%, 81.6%, and 77.6% at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 24 hours postdose, respectively. Corresponding results for pain-free response were 0.7%, 14.8%, 35.0%, 48.0, and 65.7%. Sustained 24-hour pain relief was observed in 61.0% of attacks. PPMQ-R scores (transformed to 0-100 scales, mean ± SD) improved from baseline to end of treatment for Efficacy (52.5 ± 17.8 versus 74.8 ± 23.4, p < 0.0001) and Functionality (46.2 ± 22.3 versus 71.3 ± 25.2, p < 0.0001) with no deterioration in Tolerability (80.6 ± 14.7 versus 83.5 ± 17.7, p = 0.12). PPMQ-R Overall Satisfaction score increased from baseline to end of treatment (55.1 ± 23.2 versus 74.6 ± 27.7, p < 0.0001). The percentage of patients (90% confidence interval) confident or very confident in treating migraine attacks increased from 22.2% (15.2, 30.6) at baseline to 57.8% (48.6, 66.6) at end of treatment. Results should be interpreted in the context of the open-label design of the original study.

CONCLUSION

With SDP, triptan users requiring a change in therapy experienced increased efficacy, satisfaction with therapy, and confidence in treatment without deterioration in tolerability.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of frovatriptan

INTRODUCTION

Migraine is the most common painful neurological disorder, affecting 13% of the general population. Triptans represent a powerful pharmacological tool in acute migraine treatment, however, a significant portion of treated patients cannot have access to this class due to possible adverse affects. Today, a total of seven triptan molecules are available, representing a commonly prescribed migraine treatment. Although there is a need of extensive use of triptans, only 25% of migraine patients are using triptans.

AREAS COVERED

This review includes triptans and evidence for the use of frovatriptan. A systematic approach is used to discuss the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic aspects of frovatriptan, considering the emerging data on the clinical efficacy of frovatriptan in the treatment of migraine and cluster headaches. The data were obtained by searching the following key words in MEDLINE: pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, triptans, frovatriptan, migraine, menstrual migraine, relatively to the period 1988 - 2011.

EXPERT OPINION

Frovatriptan has been developed in order to improve safety and efficacy of triptans. It shows a favorable tolerability and efficacy profile, limited to 24/48-h headache recurrence, when compared with other triptans. Preclinical data suggest that the pharmacokinetic profile of frovatriptan may differ from other available triptans. In fact, among triptans, frovatriptan showed the highest potency at the 5-HT1B receptor (8.2) and the longer half-life (26 h). These parameters determine the clinical properties of frovatriptan; in particular the lowest rate of headache recurrence in comparison with other triptans.

Triptans for the management of migraine

Migraine is a chronic, recurrent, disabling condition that affects millions of people in the US and worldwide. Proper acute care treatment for migraineurs is essential for a full return of function and productivity. Triptans are serotonin (5-HT)(1B/1D) receptor agonists that are generally effective, well tolerated and safe. Seven triptans are available worldwide, although not all are available in every country, with multiple routes of administration, giving doctors and patients a wide choice. Despite the similarities of the available triptans, pharmacological heterogeneity offers slightly different efficacy profiles. All triptans are superior to placebo in clinical trials, and some, such as rizatriptan 10 mg, eletriptan 40 mg, almotriptan 12.5 mg, and zolmitriptan 2.5 and 5 mg are very similar to each other and to the prototype triptan, sumatriptan 100 mg. These five are known as the fast-acting triptans. Increased dosing can offer increased efficacy but may confer a higher risk of adverse events, which are usually mild to moderate and transient in nature. This paper critically reviews efficacy, safety and tolerability for the different formulations of sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, rizatriptan, naratriptan, almotriptan, eletriptan and frovatriptan.

Innovative delivery systems for migraine: the clinical utility of a transdermal patch for the acute treatment of migraine

Migraine is a disabling, painful primary headache disorder that is associated with various combinations of neurological, gastrointestinal, autonomic and pain symptoms. Gastrointestinal disturbances associated with migraine, including nausea and vomiting, affect a majority of migraineurs and often result in a delay in taking or avoidance of pharmacological intervention. Gastric stasis and vomiting may lead to delayed or inconsistent absorption of orally administered medications. Many migraineurs awake early in the morning with their attack progressing and already associated with nausea and vomiting. As a result, there is a need for a novel, non-invasive, non-oral delivery system for fast and effective acute treatment of migraine. There are two non-oral delivery systems currently available in the US for the acute treatment of migraine: three nasal sprays and two injectable formulations. Although nasal sprays depend partially on nasal mucosal absorption, a significant amount of drug is swallowed, transits the stomach and is absorbed in the small intestine, which is not as rapid or effective a route of delivery for those migraineurs with gastric stasis. Sumatriptan is rapidly absorbed by subcutaneous injection with or without a needle, but the invasiveness and discomfort of the delivery, the high incidence of adverse events and the high recurrence rate all limit its use for many patients. Iontophoretic delivery of medication is a non-invasive transdermal approach that uses small amounts of electrical current to promote rapid movement of the ionized drug through the skin and into the systemic circulation. This delivery bypasses hepatic first-pass metabolism and also avoids gastric transit delay and slowing of small intestinal absorption associated with gastrointestinal stasis in migraineurs. Two pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated that iontophoretic transdermal delivery of sumatriptan results in rapid and consistent achievement of therapeutic plasma concentrations. These studies also suggest that, by avoiding patient exposure to a rapid rise in and high plasma concentrations of sumatriptan as seen with injectable sumatriptan, transdermal delivery using iontophoresis may significantly reduce typical triptan-related adverse events. A large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre clinical trial showed statistically significant efficacy, good tolerability and virtually no triptan-related adverse events. Iontophoretic delivery of sumatriptan, with a novel transdermal patch device, offers patients a migraine-specific medication that is non-invasive and non-oral. Clinically, transdermal delivery provides rapid and effective relief of migraine while bypassing the gastrointestinal tract, with minimal classic triptan-related adverse effects. This unique approach facilitates the rapid absorption of this migraine-specific triptan, which should improve the chances of consistently achieving a therapeutic plasma concentration of sumatriptan, resulting in effective migraine relief.

Revisiting the role of ergots in the treatment of migraine and headache

The harmful side effects of the ergots described by early civilizations have been overcome with efficacious treatment for headaches including migraine, cluster, and chronic daily headache. Use of ergots contributed to initial theories of migraine pathogenesis and provided the substrate for development of the triptans. Triptans are very efficacious for many migraineurs, and since their widespread use, use of ergots has significantly declined. Unfortunately, there remain many migraineurs who benefit little from triptans, yet respond very well to ergots. Discoveries in migraine pathophysiology have given us better understanding of the complex processes involved, although there remain many unknown factors in migraine treatment. Additional, unrecognized therapeutic targets may exist throughout the neuronal connections of the brainstem, cortex, and cerebral vasculature. Ergots interact with a broader spectrum of receptors than triptans. This lack of receptor specificity explains potential ergot side effects, but may also account for efficacy. The role of ergots in headache should be revisited, especially in view of newer ergot formulations with improved tolerability and side effect profiles, such as orally inhaled dihydroergotamine. Redefining where in the headache treatment spectrum ergots belong and deciding when they may be the optimal choice of treatment is necessary.

The triptans

The migraine-specific triptans have revolutionized the treatment of migraine and are currently the drugs of choice to treat a migraine attack in progress. Over the past 15 years, triptans were released in rapid succession, with each one demonstrating some specific pharmacokinetic properties that may be translated into clinical advantages. Triptans share many similarities, but also have important differences from one another. Accordingly, herein we discuss the class of the triptans. We first define the trigeminovascular system and its importance in migraine pain, then discuss the mechanism of action of the triptans and contrast the evidence supporting the use of different triptans. We close with our view of the future and hopes for the next generation of antimigraine therapies.

Migraine in the triptan era: progresses achieved, lessons learned and future developments

Triptans, serotonin 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonists, more than revolutionizing the treatment of migraine, stimulated also ground breaking research that provided insights into the anatomy, physiology, and molecular pharmacology of migraine. This knowledge, in turn, is stimulating research on new mechanisms of action for the treatment of migraine. Accordingly, it is opportune to critically review the main advances in migraine science that happened in the triptan era. Herein we first review and conceptualize some of the progresses achieved in migraine science during the triptan era. We then review the class of the triptans - mechanism of action and clinical evidence. We close by briefly discussing the class of CGRP receptor antagonists, which is currently being developed for the acute treatment of migraine.

Review of frovatriptan in the treatment of migraine

Triptans are recommended for the acute treatment of moderate to severe migraine or failure to respond to other acute migraine treatments. Seven triptans are available providing a wide range of choices. These triptans are more similar than dissimilar but patients do note differences in effectiveness and in tolerance. Also migraine situations may differ from attack to attack, providing the opportunity to exploit the uniqueness of a particular triptan. Frovatriptan has a uniquely long-half life, five times that of other triptans. This provides the opportunity to use frovatriptan in mini-prophylaxis such as in menstrual-related migraine and other situations, as well as use in long-lasting or recurrent migraine.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of zolmitriptan in the acute treatment of migraine

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relative efficacy and safety of zolmitriptan in the treatment of acute migraine attacks.

BACKGROUND

Zolmitriptan is a second-generation triptan developed for the treatment of migraine. Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been carried out to compare different dosages and formulations of zolmitriptan against other treatments for acute migraine.

METHODS

Random effects meta-analysis of 24 RCTs, including 15,408 patients suffering from acute migraine attacks. Subgroup analyses compared differences in response between different dosages and formulations of zolmitriptan, and other triptan comparators.

RESULTS

Zolmitriptan 2.5 mg tablet was found to be as effective as almotriptan 12.5 mg, eletriptan 40 mg, sumatriptan 50 mg and 100 mg and more effective than naratriptan 2.5 mg in terms of 2-hour pain-free rates. Likewise, zolmitriptan 5 mg tablet was as effective as sumatriptan 50 mg and 100 mg in 2-hour pain-free rates. Compared against zolmitriptan 2.5 mg tablet, eletriptan 80 mg was more effective in achieving headache relief, pain-free and sustained pain-free responses, and rizatriptan 10 mg was more effective in terms of sustained pain-free rates. Zolmitriptan 2.5 mg tablet was associated with a lower risk of adverse events than eletriptan 80 mg but higher risk than naratriptan 2.5 mg and rizatriptan 10 mg. Zolmitriptan 5 mg tablet was superior to zolmitriptan 2.5 mg tablet in achieving 1- and 2-hour pain-free response. There were no significant differences in 1- and 2-hour headache relief and adverse event rates between the different formulations of zolmitriptan 2.5 mg.

CONCLUSIONS

Zolmitriptan 2.5 mg tablet is an effective treatment for acute attacks of migraine showing similar efficacy to almotriptan 12.5 mg, eletriptan 40 mg, and sumatriptan 50 mg, and being more effective than naratriptan 2.5 mg in terms of pain-free response at 2 hours post dose. Zolmitriptan 2.5 mg tablet was also as effective as rizatriptan 10 mg in terms of headache relief and pain-free response but less effective in terms of sustained pain-free response.

Satisfaction with current migraine therapy: experience from 3 centers in US and Sweden

OBJECTIVE

To assess the level of satisfaction and determinants of satisfaction or dissatisfaction of patients presenting in tertiary care, in regard to their usual care (UC) for the acute treatment of migraine.

DESIGN/METHODS

Patients seen in 3 headache centers were assessed by means of 21 attributes related to their UC. Questions covered satisfaction with efficacy (including onset of relief, degree of relief, consistency of action, ease of use), tolerability (lack of side effects overall, CNS side effects, other side effects), and willingness to continue using the same medication and to change to another medication. All questions were answered on a 5-point scale (where 1 was strongly agree, 2 was agree, 3 was neutral, 4 was disagree, and 5 was strongly disagree).

RESULTS

We assessed 183 subjects (74.8% women, mean age = 39.3 years). UC consisted, as a single drug or combination, of: triptan conventional tablets--62%; triptan disintegrating tablets--8%; sumatriptan nasal spray 9%; sumatriptan injection, 9%; nontriptans--19.6%. Most (54%) had no benefit within the first hour of treatment. The maximum benefit took more than 1 hour to be reached in 69%, and more than 2 hours in 36%. After the maximum benefit had been reached, pain worsened in 61%. Although 58% were satisfied with the degree of relief, 37% were dissatisfied with the speed of effect, 50% with the recurrence of pain, and 42% with the need for a second dose. Most were satisfied with the tolerability (56%). Finally, most (79.7%) said they were willing to try another acute medication.

CONCLUSIONS

An important subset of patients, including a large subgroup of patients using triptans, is dissatisfied with their UC. Clinical trials assessing patients' preference should be conducted to complement the information from clinical trials.

Medication use in a female orofacial pain population

OBJECTIVE

This study compared, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the self-reported medication usage between an adult female orofacial pain population and a comparison group.

STUDY DESIGN

Eighty-seven subjects from both an orofacial pain center (OPC) and undergraduate dental clinic (UDC) completed a standardized medical history questionnaire. Both groups had a similar distribution with regard to age. The number of medications and medication categories were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis used the Student t-test, Fisher's exact tests, Pearson's chi2 tests, and calculated odds ratios.

RESULTS

The number of pain and non-pain medications, and the number of medication categories endorsed by OPC subjects was significantly higher compared with the UDC group.

CONCLUSION

Adult female orofacial pain subjects report greater overall and higher rate of medication use, which was not limited to only the analgesic/narcotic categories, than the comparison group.

Intranasal sumatriptan study with high placebo response in Taiwanese patients with migraine

BACKGROUND

Triptan's efficacy in the treatment of migraine has never been reported in Taiwanese. A high placebo effect was reported in Japanese. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intranasal sumatriptan in the acute treatment of migraine in Taiwanese patients.

METHODS

Fifty-eight patients who had experienced migraine for at least 1 year were randomly assigned to 2 groups, self-administered intranasal sumatriptan 20 mg or placebo to treat a single migraine attack of moderate or severe intensity.

RESULTS

A significant difference in headache relief rates between the 2 groups was observed at 30 minutes postdose (46% vs. 21%, p < 0.05). One hour postdose, 61% of sumatriptan recipients experienced headache relief compared with 43% of placebo recipients (p = 0.181). The difference in relief rates between groups diminished over time, mainly due to a high placebo response (54% at 2 hours postdose).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that ethnicity might have a role in placebo response, and highlights the importance of a placebo group in acute migraine trials. However, the small sample size in this study should also be taken into consideration.

Effectiveness and Satisfaction with Zolmitriptan 5mg Nasal Spray for??Treatment of Migraine in??Real-Life Practice

OBJECTIVE

Addressing the needs of migraineurs by actively seeking patient feedback on disease-related disability and treatment satisfaction may lead to improved management and treatment outcomes. Patient feedback can be collected in postmarketing surveillance (PMS) studies. The objective of this PMS study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of zolmitriptan 5 mg nasal spray in the acute treatment of migraine attacks.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients received zolmitriptan 5 mg nasal spray to treat migraine attacks of any severity and were followed up after a maximum of 4 months. Patients evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of zolmitriptan nasal spray, and were asked whether they wished to continue using zolmitriptan nasal spray and their preference compared with previous treatments. Physicians also assessed the efficacy and tolerability of zolmitriptan nasal spray.

RESULTS

A total of 1838 patients (84.8% females) participated in the study. Within 30 minutes of administration of zolmitriptan nasal spray, 85.0% of patients reported improvements in headache pain, with 25.1% reporting an improvement within 10 minutes. At 1 hour post-dose, 57.9% of patients were pain free and 61.7% were able to resume usual daily activities. Most patients (72.9%) rated zolmitriptan nasal spray as 'better' than previous therapy. The majority (88.8%) expressed a wish to continue using zolmitriptan nasal spray. Physicians evaluated the efficacy of zolmitriptan nasal spray as 'excellent' or 'good' in 89.4% of patients. Tolerability was evaluated as 'excellent' or 'good' in 91.6% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Zolmitriptan 5 mg nasal spray provides favourable efficacy and tolerability in the acute treatment of migraine attacks. Most patients assessed zolmitriptan nasal spray as 'better' than previous treatment, with nearly all wishing to continue using it.

Practical considerations for the treatment of elderly patients with migraine

Treatment of migraine presents special problems in the elderly. Co-morbid diseases may prohibit the use of some medications. Moreover, even when these contraindications do not exist, older patients are more likely than younger ones to develop adverse events. Managing older migraine patients, therefore, necessitates particular caution, including taking into account possible pharmacological interactions associated with the greater use of drugs for concomitant diseases in the elderly. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is the safest drug for symptomatic treatment of migraine in the elderly. Use of selective serotonin 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor agonists ('triptans') is not recommended, even in the absence of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular risk, and NSAID use should be limited because of potential gastrointestinal adverse effects. Prophylactic treatments include antidepressants, beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, calcium channel antagonists and antiepileptics. Selection of a drug from one of these classes should be dictated by the patient's co-morbidities. Beta-adrenoceptor antagonists are appropriate in patients with hypertension but are contraindicated in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, heart failure and peripheral vascular disease. Use of antidepressants in low doses is, in general, well tolerated by elderly people and as effective, overall, as in young adults. This approach is preferred in patients with concomitant mood disorders. However, prostatism, glaucoma and heart disease make the use of tricyclic antidepressants more difficult. Fewer efficacy data in the elderly are available for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which can be tried in particular cases because of their good tolerability profile. Calcium channel antagonists are contraindicated in patients with hypotension, heart failure, atrioventricular block, Parkinson's disease or depression (flunarizine), and in those taking beta-adrenoceptor antagonists and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (verapamil). Antiepileptic drug use should be limited to migraine with high frequency of attacks and refractoriness to other treatments. Promising additional strategies include ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists because of their effectiveness and good tolerability in patients with migraine, particularly in those with hypertension. Because of its favourable compliance and safety profile, botulinum toxin type A can be considered an alternative treatment in elderly migraine patients who have not responded to other currently available migraine prophylactic agents. Pharmacological treatment of migraine poses special problems in regard to both symptomatic and prophylactic treatment. Contraindications to triptan use, adverse effects of NSAIDs, and unwanted reactions to some antiemetics reduce the list of drugs available for the treatment of migraine attacks in elderly patients. The choice of prophylactic treatment (beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, calcium channel antagonists, antiepileptics, and more recently, some antihypertensive drugs) is influenced by co-morbidities and should be directed at those drugs that are believed to have fewer adverse effects and a better safety profile. Unfortunately, for most of these drugs, efficacy studies are lacking in the elderly.