FDA approves new drug for migraine sufferers

A new medication has been approved for those who haven’t found relief from migraines through other medicines.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

of ubrogepant this week. It’s the first drug in its class approved for migraine sufferers.

It’s for the acute treatment of migraines in adults who either can’t take or don’t respond to current medications on the market.

In a study published last month, more than 19% of people given the drug were pain-free in two hours, and almost 40% were relieved of debilitating symptoms like light and noise sensitivity.

The most commonly prescribed drugs for migraines work by constricting blood vessels around the brain, so they are not safe for those at risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Ubrogepant instead targets a protein involved in the transmission of pain.

According to the American Migraine Foundation, one in five women and one in 16 men suffer from the condition.