A recent study has uncovered surprising findings regarding the prevention of migraine attacks, revealing that less expensive medications prove just as effective as their costly counterparts. Migraines, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, and sound sensitivity, can be debilitating and hinder daily activities, particularly for women.
Researchers at the Norwegian Center for Headache Research (NorHead) delved into the Norwegian Prescription Register’s data from 2010 to 2020 to evaluate the efficacy of various migraine prevention treatments. The study, encompassing over a hundred thousand migraine patients, compared the impact of different preventive medicines by analyzing the consumption of acute migraine medicines before and after initiating preventive treatment.
While beta blockers are commonly prescribed as the initial choice for preventing migraine attacks, the study identified three medicines—CGRP inhibitors, amitriptyline, and simvastatin—that demonstrated superior preventive effects. Notably, amitriptyline and simvastatin, established medicines for depression, chronic pain, and high cholesterol, respectively, performed as well as CGRP inhibitors, specifically developed for chronic migraine.
Despite CGRP inhibitors being more expensive, costing 500 million NOK in reimbursement in 2021, the study emphasizes that established and more economical medicines can yield comparable treatment effects. This revelation holds significance for both patients and the Norwegian healthcare system, potentially impacting healthcare costs.
Professor Bjørk, leading the study, highlights ongoing efforts at NorHead to conduct a large clinical study assessing the preventive effects of established cholesterol-lowering medicines against chronic and episodic migraines. The collaborative research involved professionals from Headache Norway, Sandvika Neurocenter, Novartis, and Oslo Economics, with the results published in the European Journal of Neurology.
