Survey: Acute migraine therapy would earn 45% patient share in treatment of migraine

Mar 11 2010

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that an acute migraine therapy that is not contraindicated in patients with a history, symptoms or signs of vascular disease and also offers improved efficacy and fast-acting oral delivery would earn a 45 percent patient share in the treatment of migraine, according to surveyed U.S. neurologists. In Europe, such an agent would earn a 30 percent patient share, according to surveyed European neurologists.

The new report entitled Migraine (Acute): Neurologists' Expectations for a New Acute Therapy Extend Beyond Cardiovascular Safety finds that a new acute migraine drug that is free of the triptans' risk of cardiovascular side effects would be valued by clinicians and would enjoy a unique competitive advantage. However, the report shows that such an advantage would not be sufficient to fulfill surveyed neurologists' expectations for a new acute treatment.  

The report also finds Zogenix/Astellas Pharma/Desitin Pharmaceuticals' Sumavel DosePro (needle-free subcutaneous injectable sumatriptan) will earn Decision Resources' proprietary gold-standard status for migraine in 2013. Sumavel DosePro was launched in the U.S. in January 2010 and has been filed for approval in Europe. In 2009, Decision Resources' gold standard for migraine was Merck's Maxalt (rizatriptan oral tablet), owing in part to modest advantages in efficacy over other oral triptans. According to the report, Sumavel DosePro has competitive advantages in efficacy as compared to Maxalt on several of the end points that are most important to surveyed neurologists.  

"Among the current and emerging therapies profiled in the report, Sumavel DosePro benefits from fast-acting and robust efficacy at early time points," said Decision Resources Analyst Jon Searles. "Despite disadvantages in sustained pain freedom and certain side effects, Sumavel DosePro will become our clinical gold standard for migraine in 2013, although we forecast its use will be limited owing to its high cost, generics competition, reimbursement challenges and patient preference for oral pills."

SOURCE Decision Resources