Aimovig (erenumab): A New Revolution in Migraine Therapy Begins

On May 17 came public announcement of the Federal Drug Administration’s approval of Aimovig (erenumab). Amongst the CGRP antagonists, a new class of migraine medications designed specifically to treat migraine, Aimovig is the first to become available for general clinical use. The public response has been overwhelming. Not since the introduction of injectable Imitrex (sumatriptan) in 1991 has a migraine therapy caught fire so rapidly.

Over the next 18 months we should see a succession of new migraine therapies become available for general clinical use, including at least 4 more CGRP antagonist. It is now, during this period of revolutionary progress, that it is especially important for the individual migraineur to understand his/her disorder and to become familiar with the options available for treatment.

In our Fall 2017 issue, we discussed the general principles which are critical to preventing migraine. In the Summer 2018 issue, we will focus upon the specific therapies available and soon to become available, examining the positive and negative features of each.

Nobody wants to have migraine, but if you do have the disorder, take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to reduce your headache burden.