Introducing Nurtec for Migraine

With all that’s going on in the world, it’s easy to miss the important migraine stories that may have a positive impact on treatment for years to come. One of those recent news stories was the approval of a new migraine drug, Nurtec.

We’ve talked about Nurtec before, under its generic name rimegepant. Nurtec was approved last month by the FDA for the acute (abortive) treatment of migraine.

Nurtec is not the first (and probably won’t be the last) “gepant” medication to be approved. We already know that one drug of the same class may work for you when another doesn’t. But what are Nurtec’s specific strengths?

Here’s what the makers of Nurtec say in their press release:

• First and only calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist available in a fast-acting orally disintegrating tablet (ODT)
• A single oral dose of NURTEC ODT 75 mg can provide fast pain relief and return patients to normal function within one hour, and deliver sustained efficacy that lasts up to 48 hours for many patients
• 86 percent of patients treated with a single dose of NURTEC ODT did not use a migraine rescue medication within 24 hours

Well, it may be similar to what many migraine medications want to claim, but for Nurtec it’s speed and effectiveness. The fast-acting dissolving tablet does tend to be a help, and these drugs seem to work very quickly as it is. It is attractive to be able to take one tablet, and not need to take anything else.

It’s also a convenient drug because you don’t need to take it with water.

If you want to learn more, you can visit the official Nurtec website here. But Biohaven has kindly provided us with an info sheet, which you can download (pdf file) by clicking on the graphic below.