Headache
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The neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide is well established as a key player in the pathogenesis of migraine. Clinical studies show calcitonin gene-related peptide levels correlate with migraine attacks, and decreases in this neuropeptide can indicate antimigraine therapy effectiveness. Research has revealed a wide distribution of expression sites for calcitonin gene-related peptide in the central and peripheral nervous system. ⋯ Currently, there is considerable excitement regarding monoclonal antibodies against calcitonin gene-related peptide (eptinezumab, galcanezumab, fremanezumab) and the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (erenumab). To date, these monoclonal antibodies have shown promising efficacy in clinical trials, with no major safety concerns. If ongoing long-term studies show that their efficacy can be maintained, this may herald a new era for effective antimigraine therapies.
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Monoclonal antibodies targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide pathway represent a new class of mechanism-specific, migraine-targeted therapies available for migraine prevention. To date, four monoclonal antibodies have demonstrated efficacy in phase II and III trials, significantly reducing migraine days per month versus placebo with rapid onset of action. While their efficacy may be considered similar to existing preventive options, their true value may lie in an improved tolerability profile, with high specificity and selectivity for the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor or ligand reducing the potential for off-target binding and toxicity. ⋯ However, the treatments have not yet been tested in real-world settings in patients with the range of comorbid conditions encountered in routine clinical practice, and longer-term data on safety, efficacy, and treatment persistence are required. If data from real-world settings can confirm the initial clinical trial findings, it is hoped that antibodies antagonizing the calcitonin gene-related peptide pathway will be able to improve quality of life for patients with episodic and chronic migraine, and help relieve the huge patient and societal burden of migraine. Novel treatments designed to target the specific pathophysiology of migraine could have an important place in future migraine management.
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Observational Study
Direct and Indirect Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs Among Migraine Patients in the United States.
The goal of this analysis was to provide a contemporary estimate of the burden of migraine, incorporating both direct and indirect costs, by comparing the costs of migraine patients to a matched group of patients without migraine in a large, nationally representative sample of commercially insured patients in the United States. ⋯ Results from this real-world assessment of the economic burden of migraine suggest that migraine imposes a substantial direct and indirect cost burden in the United States. Compared to matched nonmigraine patients, migraine patients were more likely to have work loss and longer periods of work loss, leading to significantly higher indirect costs. Migraine patients also had higher levels of healthcare utilization, despite the relatively stable prevalence of migraine and the available acute and preventive treatment options for migraine management.