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Teva Pushes Ahead with New Migraine Treatments

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This past September, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that it’s anti-migraine patch, Zecuity, was finally available in the USA. Zecuity takes the tried-and-true sumatriptan and makes it new again. The unique patch delivery system should help patients that haven’t had success with sumatriptan in the past.

You can learn more about Zecuity at their official website.

Teva PharmaceuticalsBut Teva is pushing ahead with a completely new medication, currently known by the catchy name TEV-48125. TEV-48125 is a monoclonal antibody that binds to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), one of many similar medications being tested now.

Teva is moving into phase 3 of its trial of the medication this year. And that means the earlier trials have been successful.

First, no safety concerns have emerged so far. Second, TEV-48125 is working. Tried for patients with both chronic and episodic migraine, it tended to cut down hours with headache, and decreased the number of days with headache. It also helped patients who were not having success with their current medication.

As a preventative medication for those with severe chronic migraine, it started working as early as one week, but results were almost 5 times better after a month of treatment was completed.

It’s looking hopeful that TEV-48125 will help patients with severe migraine who have had trouble finding successful treatment in the past. Next month, Teva hopes to start a new trial which will be completed in the fall of 2017.

For more information about past trials, see:

Botox and CGRP – and the Future of Migraine Treatment

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A new study about Botox and CGRP confirms some of our suspicions, and may point the way to future migraine research and treatment.

Although it’s really started making headlines over the past year or two, the study of CGRP in migraine has been heating up over the past 20 years. CGRP stands for calcitonin gene-related peptide neurotransmitter. These neurotransmitters are especially involved in the communication of pain messages in the body (see The Secret of CGRP).

Early on, researchers began to suspect that CGRP levels rose during a migraine attack – so far nothing surprising.

However, researchers next began to discover that CGRP levels tended to be higher in migraine patients all the time, although levels seemed to drop with triptan treatments.

Test tubeA study in 2013 showed that women with various types of migraine and cluster had elevated levels of CGRP in their blood (between attacks). Among those with migraine, those with chronic migraine had the highest levels – and among those with chronic migraine, migraine with aura showed the highest levels of all.

That finally brings us to the research related to Botox. As many of you know, Botox treatment works well for some people, and not for others. Why?

Last year we talked about a study which showed that people with high levels of CGRP were far more likely to benefit from Botox (onabotulinumtoxin type A) treatments.

Last month, another study confirmed the same thing. Once again, patients with higher levels of CGRP were more likely to respond well to treatment.

But a month after the Botox treatment, levels of responders dropped – although the levels in nonresponders did not.

We are left with a lot of unanswered questions – but those questions could drive migraine research in the direction it needs to go.

Why the different levels of CGRP? Exactly what role do CGRP levels play in migraine? Could this point us to an underlying cause or disorder?

Perhaps more importantly – why the differences?

Over the past few years, research has shown us again and again and again – not all migraine disease is the same. There are “different migraines”, with different treatments, different symptoms, and different neurological manifestations.

And yet we still so often talk about “migraine” as if it’s one thing and one thing only.

Those in cancer research and treatment are learning this the hard way as well – not all cancer is the same, not all cancer is equally dangerous, and not all cancer should be treated in the same way.

Migraine research is going – and must go – the same direction.

Imagine going to the lab for tests – and then being diagnosed with a specific type of migraine – and then getting treatment for that type specifically. Your chances of excellent treatment will go way up.

For now, we have an important way forward for research into CGRP levels, and for Botox treatment. In the future – something much bigger and better.

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In the USA? Help Make This New Treatment a Reality! (Cluster Headache)

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For quite some time now we’re been talking about the hot new migraine-fighting hopefuls – CGRP antibodies. In fact, there’s a race to get these new medications to the market.

One of these drugs, now known as “LY2951742”, is being tested for cluster headache, both chronic and episodic. So if you have cluster, and you’re in the USA, you have a unique chance to get in on the cutting edge of research.

They are looking for adult volunteers, with a history of either episodic or chronic cluster headache. There is more information listed, including who to contact and how, if you click through the links above.

To find out more about CGRP, see:

Dr. Goadsby Migraine Interview

The “Revolution” in Migraine Treatment (Dr. Peter Goadsby)

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Last month the American Headache Society had their annual symposium in Arizona, USA. There was a lot of discussion about the new treatments coming down the pipe to fight migraine.

Dr. Peter Goadsby from the University of California did a brief interview which you can see here. But here is a quick summary of some of the things that he said. It’s worth while taking a look, because Dr. Goadsby did give an excellent summary about some of the new migraine treatments that are now being tested.

What follows is a summary of the interview…

The Problem

Today we have various treatments for migraine, most of which were not developed specifically for migraine. We’re not sure why many of them work, and patients must struggle with a number of side effects. “It’s a really awful mishmash of things that we have to offer.”

What’s Coming

There are some very exciting treatments that are being developed. The two that the interview focused on are related to CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide neurotransmitter).

Now the exciting thing about both of these is that they are working well in various trials. In fact, some people taking these are going a long time with no migraine attacks whatsoever.

How does this work?

The treatments use monoclonal antibodies directed against the CGRP. (Note: these are antibodies created in the lab for a specific purpose. Monoclonal antibodies are also being used in cancer treatment.)

One question is just how to best deliver the antibodies to have the maximum effect.

A big question is – why do these medications work so well (“spectacularly well”, said Dr. Goadsby more than once) for certain patients?  If we can figure that out, we could “deliver personalized, highly effective treatments that are well tolerated to a group of people who are otherwise horribly disabled“.

Dr. Goadsby thinks that the clue will probably be found in a genetic marker.  If we can find better personalized treatments, we will help patients, doctors, and society as a whole.

When is it going to happen?

Dr. Goadsby was reluctant to make a prediction, but he finally said,“I’m going to predict that in five years or so we will be using these medicines in clinical practice and they will revolutionize practice.”

Click the image below to go to the interview.

Dr. Goadsby Migraine Interview

via The Daily Headache

Will new Migraine Med fight Obesity and Diabetes?

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The high expectations for CGRP-blocking migraine medications could turn into a craze before they even get to the market.  New research has raised the hope that this type of medication could fight obesity and diabetes, and help the patient to live longer in general.

New Migraine meds and obesity

Before you start looking to these new meds as the fountain of youth, there are a few things you should know about the study, published this May in the journal Cell.

First, this is a very early study, using mice, not humans.  And it all revolves around TRPV1 pain receptors.

When these pain receptors were destroyed, the mice actually did better as they aged.  In fact, they lived 14% longer than the other mice.  More insulin became available, and blood glucose lowered.

What would that mean for a human being?  Less chance of obesity of type 2 diabetes, because your body would easily be able to get rid of sugar.

What does this have to do with the new series of migraine drugs that researchers are working on?  Well, the calcitonin gene-related peptide neurotransmitter – CGRP – is blocked using the new medications.  CGRP is triggered by the TRPV1 pain receptor.  Meaning that the blocking of CGRP may be the real key.

Interestingly, this particular pain receptor is sometimes called the “capsaicin receptor”, because it’s activated by capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers.  When the receptors are activated enough by capsaicin, they can stop working – and so pain messages are interrupted in the body.

Capsaicin has been a common treatment for headache and migraine in the past.  Could it be that they work the same way – by blocking CGRP in the body?  If so, we may have more evidence than ever that these medications will work.

Expect to hear more and more about these meds as they get closer to market.  The promotion machine will go into full gear.  But remember, they are unlikely to work for everyone.  Our hope is that they will help a few people that haven’t been able to find help so far, or those who have found help but are dealing with side effects.  And maybe instead of weight gain (a common side effect in many migraine medications) they can enjoy some weight loss.

Meanwhile – pass the peppers.

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