Pharmacology News

PHILADELPHIA — Results from a large study of patients with chronic migraine found that a significant number of patients discontinued medications due to perceived lack of efficacy, showing a substantial unmet need and high levels of disability, according to a presentation at the American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting. Patients also reported significant opioid use for migraine despite recommendations against this practice.

Data suggest that pitolisant, a histamine 3-receptor antagonist/inverse agonist under development for narcolepsy treatment, showed limited abuse potential and other benefits, according to findings presented at SLEEP.

PHILADELPHIA — Patients with episodic cluster headache are more frequently treated with acute medications than preventive treatments, suggesting that guidelines for preventive treatments may be needed, according to study results presented at the American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting.

Women who took sleep medications were at a slightly higher risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to findings from a Utah-based cohort released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Prepregnancy surgery is associated with an increased risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome in later pregnancies, according to study results published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

In patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease, non–vitamin K oral anticoagulants have superior benefit-risk profiles than vitamin K antagonists, according to study results published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

PHILADELPHIA — Lasmiditan, an investigational, oral, first-in-class receptor antagonist for the acute treatment of migraine pain, hindered patients’ ability to drive even though the drivers did not think their driving was impaired, according to a discussion held during the American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting.

PHILADELPHIA — A 1-hour informational session was an “effective and efficient way” to educate patients about the newly FDA-approved calcitonin gene related peptide medications for migraine prevention, according to data presented at the American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting.

PHILADELPHIA — The benefits of prescribing opioids to patients with migraines usually do not outweigh the risk, a past president of the American Headache Society told Healio Primary Care during the organization’s annual scientific meeting.

PHILADELPHIA — Emgality, an FDA-approved treatment for preventing migraines, was effective in chronic and episodic migraines but had varied results in other types of headache, according to studies presented at the American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting.