Ajovy for Children and Adolescents

It’s hard to believe that it has now been seven years since the FDA approved Ajovy (fremanezumab-vfrm) for migraine. But seven years it has been. And this month it has been approved for paediatric use for those with episodic migraine (more information).

Ajovy is one of the CGRP related medications (a calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonist in this case). It’s a preventative, taken by injection. The word “injection” may scare a lot of people off, but the nice thing about Ajovy is that it’s only taken once a month – or, over the course of a day every three months. It also uses an “autoinjector” which is fairly easy to use, unlike old-fashioned needles (been there!).

It’s not surprising that many people prefer something taken every three months to a pill taken every day. And Ajovy continues to be a success story for many, significantly or even drastically reducing their days with migraine symptoms.

Appropriately, we are a lot slower to approve medications for children. But Ajovy now provides another option for many children suffering from migraine, and in this case something that won’t be a daily complication.

The details? Ajovy has been approved for children ages 6-17, who weigh at least 45kg or 100 lbs. The quarterly injections have not been approved, only the monthly injections – a dosage of 225mg (the same as the monthly dose for adults).

The weight of the patient is an important factor, because we still don’t know of a dose that will be effective and yet still safe for lower weights.

As with trying any new medication, you should watch for any unwanted symptoms. Some people have reported skin problems around the injection site, something that can probably be treated to diminish the discomfort. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

For more information, see Ajovy’s official site. There is also some detailed information at the FDA official site on Ajovy.