THE National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, UK, recently endorsed atogepant, a new oral treatment for preventing chronic and episodic migraines, potentially benefiting up to 170,000 NHS patients.
Marketed as Aquipta and produced by AbbVie, atogepant is recommended for adults who experience at least four migraine days per month and have unsuccessfully tried three previous treatments.
The medication, the first oral preventive option, offers a shift from the injectable drugs typically required for those with severe cases.
Atogepant works by inhibiting the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor, a protein linked to migraine pain through its role in dilating blood vessels.
UK Health Minister Andrew Stephenson said that he hopes the new treatment will help prevent recurring migraine attacks where other medicines have failed.
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