Participants taking atogepant twice daily for 12 weeks reported an average of three fewer migraine and headache days per month than the placebo group. Those taking it once daily experienced two fewer migraine and headache days per month. The study, funded by AbbVie, the drug’s manufacturer, also found a significant reduction in medication overuse.
Among participants taking atogepant twice daily, acute pain medication overuse decreased by 62 percent, while those taking it once daily saw a 52 percent reduction. These findings suggest atogepant may help reduce the risk of rebound headaches by decreasing acute pain medication use, potentially improving the quality of life for migraine sufferers. “There is a high prevalence of pain medication overuse among people with migraine as they try to manage what are often debilitating symptoms,” study author Dr.
Peter J. Goadsby of King’s College London, a member of the American Academy of Neurology, said in a press release. He described the findings as “encouraging,” indicating that atogepant may help reduce pain-medication dependence in chronic migraine patients.
However, Dr. Goadsby, who reported receiving personal fees from AbbVie during the study, noted that further research is needed to evaluate atogepant’s long-term safety, effectiveness, and potential risk of medication overuse relapse. Overmedication is particularly common in chronic headache disorders due to the frequent need for pain relief, “given the need to tr.
