New Drug Hope for Migraine Sufferers

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Researchers from Monash University have found close to 60% of participants who used the Erenumab injection pen once a month for three months experienced 50% fewer migraines. Excited by the results, they were disappointed when Erenumab was recently withdrawn from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee approval process. Migraine is the leading cause of neurological disability in the country, affecting close to five million Australians. Researchers now want the PBS to get behind the new class of drugs. The PBS says its Advisory Committee has recommended the listing of two drugs in the same class as Erenumab.

Period20 Oct 2020

Media coverage

1

Media coverage

  • TitleNew Drug Hope for Migraine Sufferers
    Degree of recognitionNational
    Media name/outletNine News
    Media typeTelevision
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    Date20/10/20
    DescriptionA recent study by Monash University has shown the effectiveness of a migraine drug called Erenumab (Aimovig) for chronic sufferers, which sadly remains unaffordable for most patients.

    Involving 170 patients living with frequent, severe migraine attacks (chronic migraine) who have failed multiple preventive treatments across three specialist headache centres in Australia, findings revealed that after being prescribed Erenumab, after a course of just three months 58.8 per cent had at least halved the number of ‘migraine attack’ days they experienced each month. This result was maintained at six months, with 50 per cent experiencing half the number of days with migraine that they had at baseline.

    Erenumab was recently withdrawn from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) approval process in Australia. However, the findings, published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, demonstrate that Erenumab is an effective, well-tolerated migraine therapy, in real-world, complex patients, but will remain out of reach for most people due to cost.
    Producer/AuthorJustine Conway
    URLhttps://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1318457593396867073?s=20
    PersonsElspeth Hutton
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