Jessica Ailani, MD: Optional Second Dose of Ubrogepant in Acute Migraine

“We know clinically that often patients will take a second dose of medication. Especially if they felt that they were starting to feel better but didn’t quite get the effect they were hoping for, they tend to re-dose.”

At the now-canceled American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2020 Annual Meeting, a number of analyses were scheduled to be presented on ubrogepant (Ubrelvy; Allergan), a recently approved agent for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. One suggested that the agent has an increased likelihood of providing patients freedom from pain and symptoms associated with headache during headaches of mild pain intensity, while another assessed the impact an optional second dose of the anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) medicine.^1,2

That second analysis, conducted by Jessica Ailani, MD, FAHS, director, MedStar Georgetown Headache Center, and associate professor of neurology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and colleagues, showed that ubrogepant is the first and only treatment to demonstrate statistically higher rates of pain freedom at second dose compared to placebo, without additional safety concerns identified.²

To find out more about what the data show, how they should be interpreted clinically, and the significance of patients having success with a second dose, NeurologyLive connected virtually with Ailani to gain her perspective on the results.

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REFERENCES

1. Lipton R, Dodick D, Goadsby PJ, et al. Ubrogepant is Effective in the Acute Treatment of Migraine with Mild Pain. Neurology. 2020;94(15 Suppl): 4726.

2. Ailani J, Blumenfeld A, Klein B, et al. An Optional Second Dose of Ubrogepant is Effective in Achieving 2-Hour Pain Freedom in the Acute Treatment of Migraine. Neurology. 2020;94(15 Suppl): 166.