Zolmitriptan

A meta-analysis of 137 trials of migraine drugs indicates that the newest class of treatments are less effective than the previous generation of triptan drugs in relieving acute headaches. A study from The BMJ indicates that the newest class of migraine drugs—which includes Pfizer’s Nurtec, AbbVie’s Ubrelvy and Eli Lilly’s Reyvow—is less effective in the acute treatment of migraines than a previous class of medicines.What's more, the newer drugs are no more effective in treating migraines than traditional headache remedies such as Tylenol, ibubrofen and aspirin, according to The BMJ's analysis.The study, a meta-analysis of 137 trials that together enrolled nearly 90,000 patients, indicates that the most effective treatments for migraine come from the triptan class. In head-to-head comparisons of the 17 drugs covered in the study, triptans demonstrated the best efficacy within 2 hours of use, led by eletriptan, which also delivered the best-sustained relief over 24 and 48 hours, according to the analysis.Eletriptan was brought to the market by Pfizer in 2002 and sold under the brand name Relpax. The next most effective medicines in providing relief at 2 hours were the following triptans (in order of performance): rizatriptan, sumatriptan and zolmitriptan. Rizatriptan is sold by Organon as Maxalt. GSK sells sumatriptan as Imitrex and AstraZeneca markets zolmitriptan as Zomig.“Triptans are currently widely underused, and access to the most effective triptans should be promoted globally and international guidelines updated accordingly,” the authors wrote. The BMJ analysis also concluded that the newest class of migraine treatments—which are called calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (CGRP) antagonists—should only be used after traditional headache meds.“While the recent introduction of lasmiditan (Reyvow), rimegepant (Nurtec), and ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) has expanded options for the acute treatment of migraine, the high cost of these newer drugs, along with the substantial adverse effects of lasmiditan, suggest their use as third-line options, after the less expensive, similarly efficacious, second-line options," the authors wrote.While the BMJ study focused on acute treatment of migraines, new CGRP treatments have also been approved as preventatives. Nurtec pills, for example, were approved in 2021 for use every other day to ward off potential migraines. Much hope has been pinned on the effectiveness of CGRP drugs. In 2022, Pfizer spent $11.6 billion in a buyout of Biohaven to gain Nurtec, which rolled up sales of $928 million last year. Meanwhile, Ubrelvy, which was approved in 2019, generated $815 million in sales.Several other CGRPs—all approved in 2018 for the prevention of migraines—also remain formidable. Eli Lilly’s Emgality generated $678 million in sales last year, while Teva’s Ajovy pulled in $435 million and Amgen’s Aimovig collected $303 million. Besides those drugs, Lundbeck's Vyepti won approval in 2020 and generated about $250 million last year.

The acquisition aligns with Grünenthal’s strategy to expand its product portfolio. Credit: fizkes / Shutterstock. Grünenthal has announced the acquisition of US-based Valinor Pharma, along with its opioid-induced constipation (OIC) therapy Movantik, in a $250m deal which includes complete royalty obligations. The transaction will be financed using Grünenthal’s available liquidity. Movantik, known as Moventig outside the US, is an oral treatment for OIC in adults with chronic non-cancer pain. The acquisition broadens Grünenthal’s portfolio of established treatments and strengthens its growing presence in the US market. In 2023 Movantik generated gross sales exceeding $200m in the US. See Also: Merck secures FDA authorisation for Ebola vaccine Ervebo US proposes rules for drug importation from Canada Grünenthal previously acquired the therapy in Europe as part of a joint venture (JV) with Kyowa-Kirin. With the purchase of Valinor, Grünenthal now owns the worldwide rights to the product, excluding Canada. Grünenthal US president Marv Kelly stated: “We are excited to welcome Valinor and expand our portfolio offering to pain specialists with Movantik.” Since 2017, the company has added several products to its lineup, including Nebido, the European rights to Crestor and Nexium, and the worldwide rights to Vimovo, Qutenza and Zomig, with Japan as an exception for the latter two. In 2023, Grünenthal also established a JV, Grünenthal Meds, with Kyowa Kirin International. This JV manages a pain-management-focused portfolio of 13 brands. Grünenthal has invested more than €2bn in successful mergers and acquisitions. Its CEO Gabriel Baertschi stated: “As a pain specialist, Movantik is a perfect fit for Grünenthal with our existing customer base and complementary product portfolio. “The acquisition of Valinor Pharma strengthens our footprint in the United States, the most important growth market for Grünenthal.”