FDA Approves New Migraine Prevention Drug

An innovative drug was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In fact, there are a number of injections that can be used to prevent migraines and that should be used monthly.

The name of the drug is Aimovig, although they commonly call it erenumab.

What is so special about it?

New options for treating migraines mean that solutions can be found for all those who suffer from this unpleasant condition.

It is incomprehensible to many people who do not suffer from this condition: having to lock themselves inside a dark and quiet room to ameliorate the unbearable pain that comes with a migraine is a horrible situation.

Until then, those who suffer from them had to succumb to accusations in order to avoid their obligations due to “normal headaches.” However, it is absolutely distant from reality.

This disease has a significant genetic cause: in fact, it mostly affects women. That is, it is not created by certain habits in life or by stress, as many other things are.

That, of course, gives even more reason to address it.

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How does Aimovig work?

The results of this wonderful medicine were presented at the annual conference of the American Academy of Neurology.

According to the specialized digital magazine IFL Science, the biggest benefit of this drug is simply that it prevents how the migraine is experienced. Fortunately, it does so by preventing, rather than treating, when the migraine is already occurring.

Researchers showed that the effect of the medicine lasts so long that patients can take it on a monthly basis. Fortunately, it is not even necessary to take pills. All you need is just a monthly injection of 70 to 140 milligrams.

This dose blocks the molecules that transmit the migraine signals, which are the ones that cause the severe pain that is characteristic of this disease.

Side effects and costs

According to medical journals , the side effects of these drugs are very few. However, the benefits are not guaranteed to be equally successful for all patients.

In the studies, a third of the medicated patients showed significant improvements. Meanwhile, few said the symptoms stopped completely. Finally, several of them experienced no improvement at all.

Still not available

Unfortunately, it may take some time before this treatment is available.

Its cost is high, so it is not easy for those who do not have health insurance to access the drug.

The drug-making company Amgen announced that the cost of each injection is $575 USD. In Europe, the European Medicines Agency is currently evaluating the authorization of this medicine. If your income allows the price, the value depends on the negotiations between Amgen and the public health systems.

In a statement, the US company defended the high value of its product. It claimed that it would have a very positive impact on both patients and healthcare professionals.

Hopefully it will be more accessible soon.

Other medicines to prevent migraines

Of course, this is not the first alternative created to prevent migraines. There are other drugs that have been previously approved by the FDA, such as metisergide, propanolol, timolol, and divalproex sodium.

However, the use of these drugs can have side effects. Therefore, it is important that a doctor assess your condition to adjust your dose or stop the medication if necessary.

Migraine in numbers

Many of those who suffer from migraines are able to treat these symptoms with conventional and even homemade remedies. But there are also those who experience that their daily lives are severely affected by the negative effects that these headaches have, especially on their mood.

Here are some facts about this disease:

• It affects 1 in 10 people.
• It usually occurs after the person has turned 20, but it can also affect children.
• There are several types of migraines that vary, depending on the area of ​​the brain that it is attacking.
• The most severe and intense is the neuralgic migraine.
• Although the cause is genetic, the trigger may be internal or external stimulus. It is advisable to keep track of possible causes of migraine episodes.

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Taking into account the millions of people suffering from this disease worldwide, it is encouraging to think of being able to reduce these numbers, even if it is a little. If alternatives like Aimovig continue to emerge, thousands of individuals will be able to live better.