Por Ada Mendez
Miami-Dade Health
Last May, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug called Aimovig, the first-ever medication created for the prevention of migraine.
The successful trials of this new drug and bringing it to the market is a great deal not only for the more than 38 million people in the US who suffer from migraine, but especially for women, who are three times as likely as men to experience it.
The new drug is so promising that side effects among 3,000 study participants have been limited to irritation at the injection site and constipation.
Essentially, Aimovig works to prevent migraine by blocking the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor, which has been shown to a spike in the bodies of migraine sufferers.
Amgen, who manufactures the drug, says that although the exact role of CGRP in migraine has yet to be determined, evidence supports that levels of that compound have been shown to increase in the body at the onset of migraine and decrease following relief of migraine pain.
According to figures published by the World Health Organization, migraine is the 19th most significant cause of years lived with disability worldwide, and the 12th most significant for women.
The cost of Aimovig is estimated at around $6,900 yearly.