FDA Approves New Formulation Of Migraine Headache Treatment

Imagine that it is 5 a.m. and you wake with a migraine headache. What can you take that will start to work fast on the pain? Or what if your migraine makes you nauseous or causes vomiting? What can you do to relieve your pain when you can't keep a pill down? Or what if you feel a migraine coming on and the pain of this migraine grows worse by the minute. What can you do to stop it before it takes over?
Migraines can vary from person to person and from attack to attack, and therefore, the treatment needs for each attack may also vary. Oral treatments can be effective at treating migraine pain for many patients, but for certain types of migraine attacks, such as those described above, an alternative delivery system may be more appropriate.
Another Option for
Migraine Pain
Today, there is good news for migraine sufferers. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new formulation of Imitrex® (sumatriptan succinate) Injection. The new formulation gives people an easy way to take a 4mg dose of the product. With the push of a button, patients can treat their migraines quickly and easily using the Imitrex STATdose System®. According to a study published in the journal Headache, 88 percent of patients found the product easy to use. In another study of patients with moderate to severe migraine pain, 67 percent reported headache relief within one hour and 11 percent of patients reported relief starting at 10 minutes.
Migraines affect 28 million Americans. The treatment needs for migraines can vary from attack to attack, and being able to effectively treat a migraine can be the difference between debilitating pain and getting on with your daily life. That is why it is important for many migraine sufferers to have different treatment options.
"The availability of this product provides a simple and effective treatment option for patients who experience certain types of migraines," said Robert Kaniecki, M.D., director of The Headache Center at the University of Pittsburgh and assistant professor of neurology. "Migraine patients who experience nausea or vomiting with their headaches often require an injection, since oral treatments are typically not well tolerated by these patients. Additionally, injections bypass the digestive system and enter the bloodstream quickly, which is especially important for treating certain migraine attacks, such as morning and rapidly escalating migraines."
Kimberly McGonigle suffers from migraines. As a busy mother and professional, she knows first-hand that it is important to have options for treating migraine headaches. "I've suffered with migraines for the last 15 years and do not respond well to oral treatments due to the nausea I experience with each attack, so I use Imitrex Injection," said Kimberly. "With the injection, I can quickly and easily treat my migraines, so that I can get on with my life."
About The Imitrex
STATdose System
Imitrex Injection is available in the easy-to-use STATdose System, which allows patients to administer a 4mg dose of the product with just the push of a button. Until now, patients did not have an easy way to administer doses lower than 6mg. The system includes two small, disposable cartridges pre-filled with a single dose of medicine and an easy-to-use autoinjector pen that allows patients to give themselves a single dose of the medication. The delivery system enables patients to treat their migraines quickly and conveniently while avoiding direct contact with a needle or a syringe.
Important Safety Information About Imitrex
Imitrex is approved for the acute treatment of migraines with and without aura in adults. Patients should not take Imitrex if they have certain types of heart disease, history of stroke or TIAs, peripheral vascular disease, Raynaud syndrome, or blood pressure that is uncontrolled. Patients with risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or being a smoker, should be evaluated by a doctor before taking Imitrex. Very rarely, certain people, even some without heart disease, have had serious heart-related problems. Patients who are pregnant, nursing or taking medications should talk to their doctor.