One of the newer treatment options for the prevention of migraines is the use of CGRP antagonists.

In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have tested drugs in this class to reduce the occurrence of migraines for people with chronic migraines. Several are approved by the FDA.

“The results of early clinical trials presented at the American Headache Society’s annual meeting were promising.”

“The potential of these new compounds is enormous and gives us real hope that effective specific treatments for migraine may be on the near horizon,” said Dr. Peter J. Goadsby, PhD, the chief of the University of California, San Francisco, Headache Center in 2015. “The development of CGRP antibodies offers the simple, yet elegant and long-awaited option for migraine patients to finally be treated with migraine preventives; it’s a truly landmark development.”

The CGRP is a pain-causing molecule and it is brought down by the use of the CGRP monoclonal antibodies. A drug class called biologics includesonoclonal antibodies.

The FDA approved the first CGRP antagonists for use in treating migraines. These include:

  • erenumab is a drug.
  • Ajovy is a fremanezumab.
  • galcanezumab is a drug.

The medications are injected. Depending on your symptoms, the injection may be different.

In trials of fremanezumab, the Teva Pharmaceuticals drug reportedly reduced the number of migraine headache days after taking the drug for 3 months. More than half of the participants saw their headache frequency drop by at least half, the researchers said.

In Amgen trials of erenumab, participants reportedly cut the number of “migraine days” by up to 2.5 days a month on average.

In 2020, CGRP antagonist The drug is called “Vti.” was FDA approved for preventive migraine treatment. It is the first intravenous (IV) treatment for preventing migraine. One clinical trial found that eptinezumab could cut monthly migraine days by half after 6 months.

The FDA approved atogepant in late 2021, making it the fifth CGRP antagonist to receive approval. It is taken in a pill form once a day, but the dosage may vary depending on your other medications.

If you have chronic migraines, you should speak with your doctor about whether CGRP antagonists can help.

There are other options for preventing migraines. These include:

  • There areblockers.
  • The drugs antidepressants
  • Anticonvulsants.
  • The calcium channel blockers are made.
  • botulinum toxin type A is aotulinumtoxinA.

The drugs reduce the severity of the headaches. They can be used in combination with other treatments.

Talk to your doctor about making a preventive treatment plan.

According to the American Migraine Foundation, almost 40 million people in the United States have migraine. This number is likely higher because many people are undiagnosed. People with chronic migraine may have more than 15 migraine days a month.

Tripsan were the last breakthrough in treatment for migraines. Migraine attacks are treated by triptans. People with migraines can take triptans with CGRP inhibitors.

“This development [of CGRP antagonists for migraine prevention] is a transformative moment in migraine treatment,” said Goadsby in 2015. “There’s no question that we need something better. In fact, for prevention we really need something designed specifically for migraine.”

The prevention of migraines has been made easier by the emergence of CGRP antagonists.

This is a growing class of drugs. The FDA approved drugs for the prevention of migraines.

  • erenumab is a drug.
  • Ajovy is a fremanezumab.
  • galcanezumab is a drug.
  • The drug is called “Vti.”
  • Atogepant is also known as Qulipta.

People with migraines may experience pain in their nervous systems if CGRP antagonists are not used. If you think CGRP antagonists might help with your migraines, talk to your doctor.