Neurology Today: FDA Approves Erenumab, First CGRP Inhibitor for Migraine

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 17 approved erenumab (Aimovig), the first in a new class of calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) antagonists, for the prevention of migraine.

Erenumab, which is given by monthly injection, is one of four monoclonal antibodies that have been tested in large clinical trials that target or block CGRP, which is produced by trigeminal nerve endings and elevated during migraine attacks. Other CGRP antagonists — eptinezumab, fremanezamb, and galcanezumab — bind to the peptide itself, while erenumab binds to the receptor.

The FDA based its approval of erenumab on three randomized, controlled trials. In the largest trial of 955 patients, reported in November in the New England Journal of Medicine, erenumab administered subcutaneously at a monthly dose of 70 mg or 140 mg significantly reduced migraine frequency, the effects of migraines on daily activities, and the use of acute migraine-specific medication over a period of six months.

Jennifer Bickel, MD, FAAN, Children's Mercy Kansas City, highlighted the emergence of CGRPs as one of the most promising developments in 2017.

"These antibodies offer the ability to target the migraine pathway in ways that we have never done before," Dr. Bickel told Neurology Today. "In addition to demonstrating efficacy, these antibodies appear well tolerated without the sedation and mood changes that can limit the use of conventional migraine medications."

Read the full article via Neurology Today.

Learn more about the services offered through the Headache Clinic at Children's Mercy.