• Elizabeth Loder, Frederick G Freitag, James Adelman, Starr Pearlmand, and Susan Abu-Shakra.
• Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. eloder@partners.org
• Curr Med Res Opin. 2005 Mar 1; 21 (3): 381-9.

ContextZolmitriptan 2.5 mg orally disintegrating tablets (ODT) allow patients to take the medication without fluids, which is convenient and avoids the risk of fluid-induced exacerbation of nausea/vomiting.ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of zolmitriptan 2.5 mg ODT taken as soon as possible after onset of a migraine.DesignMulticenter, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled two-attack trial.SettingOutpatient headache clinics in the US.Patients608 patients were randomized; 566 patients treated at least 1 migraine and were included in the tolerability assessment (565 patients were included in the intent-to-treat population).InterventionPatients were randomized to either zolmitriptan 2.5 mg ODT or placebo. Patients treated up to 2 migraine attacks as soon as possible after the start of their migraine pain.Main Outcome MeasurePain-free rates at 2 h.ResultsZolmitriptan 2.5 mg ODT (n = 281) demonstrated a significant pain-free rate vs. placebo (n = 284) at 2 h (40% vs. 20%, p < 0.001), 1.5 h (25% vs. 15%, p < 0.001), and 1 h (13% vs. 8%, p = 0.004). Sustained pain-free rate was significantly higher than placebo (31% vs. 15%; p < 0.001). Return to normal activities favored zolmitriptan 2.5 mg ODT at 1 h (p = 0.004), 1.5 h (p < 0.001), and 2 h (p < 0.001). Adverse events associated with zolmitriptan 2.5 mg ODT were those commonly reported with the use of triptans.ConclusionsZolmitriptan 2.5 mg ODT, taken as early as possible after onset of a migraine attack, is effective in the treatment of migraine, producing a significantly higher pain-free rate than placebo 2 h post-dose, and also at the earlier time points of 1 h and 1.5 h post-dose.

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