FDA Approves New Drug That Prevents Migraines

woman with a migraine

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug that can offer relief to people who suffer from frequent migraines. The new drug called Aimovig, also known generically as erenumab, is the first in a new class of drugs that block a molecule that transmits pain signals when somebody is suffering from a migraine. 

In studies, the drug did not completely cure people who suffered from migraines but greatly reduced their frequency. Researchers said that they were able to reduce "the average number of monthly migraine headaches by more than 50 percent for nearly half of study participants."

Dr. Peter Goadsby, who is a lead researcher on the drug, said that Aimovig "will change migraine treatment for those who don’t respond to conventional treatments."

The drug has minimal side effects, which include constipation and skin reactions at the injection site. 

The drug's maker, Amgen, said that the price of the new drug will be $575 per dose. Patients will need to inject themselves once every month, bringing the cost of the medication to $6,900 per year. Now that the drug has been approved by the FDA it can be prescribed by doctors and should be covered by most insurance companies. 

Photo: Getty Images


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