Scientists may have found a silver lining in their quest to provide treatment for the millions who suffer from migraine attacks with the discovery of two new drugs that were tested in a pair of clinical tests.
The two studies presented Tuesday at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting showcase two new preventive treatment for migraines that may reduce the frequency and severity of the attacks.
The drugs work as "monoclonal antibodies" that were initially engineered to be used in treating cancer. They block a chemical receptor for a protein fragment called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which is considered to be one of the leading triggers of migraine attacks among patients, so the migraine doesn't develop.
"The big deal is that there's never been anything introduced to prevent migraine attacks that was based on a mechanism and a sole indication of migraine," said Dr. Peter Goadsby, co-author of the studies on the two newfound drugs.
A single dose of the intravenous drug called ALD403 reduced the migraine attacks of the patients to 66 percent in just two months, compared with the 52 percent decline in patients who were given with an inactive substance colloquially known as placebo. Four months into the treatment, 16 percent of the patients were reported to be free of migraines.
The other drug known as LY295174, meanwhile, was injected into patients every two weeks for 12 weeks. The results showed potential as the 150-mg dosage deducted migraine attacks by 63 percent or 4 days from the normal number of days with migraines. Those who had doses of placebo only had a 42 percent decrease in their attacks.
Side effects, however, were reported in patients who were given LY2951742. Patients may suffer from pain at the injection site, abdominal pain and upper respiratory tract infections. Despite this, researchers are confident that both drugs are safe to use.
They have still yet to find out the length of the drugs' effectiveness, how long they will last, and how often they would be given, Goadsby said.
Data from the U.S. National Institutes of Health showed that 12 percent of Americans suffer from migraine headaches. While the newfound drugs can be considered as new hope to this group, researchers estimate these drugs will be accessible to the public in three years' time as the drugs first have to undergo large-scale clinical tests and acquire FDA approval.
