Migraine Clinical Trials 2023

What Are Migraine Clinical Trials?

A migraine is a severe, debilitating headache on either side of the head. Migraine is a common condition, affecting 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men worldwide. Acute migraine can hamper normal functioning and is often treated in the emergency department (ED). According to CDC, migraines account for 3% of all ED visits in the U.S.

While the exact causes of migraines remain unknown, stress, certain foods and drinks like cheese and coffee, and sensory stimuli are all considered migraine triggers. Risk factors include family history, age, and hormonal changes.

Migraine clinical trials aim to understand the common causes of migraines and how to alleviate these headaches without an overdependence on opioids.

Why is Migraine Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

36% of people who visited the ED for acute migraine received an opioid prescription, which means too many pills too often. This leads to a pressing need for more research on the causes of migraine and better, less harmful treatment methods, possible through migraine clinical trials.

Migraines are unique headaches that produce symptoms more than just pain. These include nausea and vomiting, which causes patient disability. 25% of migraine patients often experience a neurological syndrome, an ‘aura,’ characterized by visual effects like flashing lights and blind spots, confusion, vertigo, and other symptoms resembling a stroke.  

In addition, migraines have an economic impact. It is an expensive condition to treat, and its economic impact is felt by those affected, as well as their employers and insurance companies. The rapid rise and the crippling effects of migraine have become central to clinical trials.

What Are The Types of Treatments Available for Migraine?

There is no cure for migraines yet, but migraine clinical trials are exploring this avenue. There exist two types of medications to prevent migraines and alleviate its symptoms.

Abortive Medications are effective when consumed at the onset of a migraine. This medication can control the migraine, reducing and stopping symptoms from getting worse.

• Acetaminophen
• NSAIDs
• Caffeine combination pills

Preventive (prophylactic) Medications are often used when the headache becomes severe and starts interfering with your daily functioning.

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials For Migraine?

There have been several landmark studies involving migraine in recent years. Some of the most recent studies are:

2023: In a breakthrough study, neurologists have understood what causes migraines and how to reduce its frequency and severity. Dr. P. Christopher H. Gottschalk, a Yale Medicine Neurologist, has termed it a revolutionary discovery. This research has found that an interaction between the trigeminal, the largest nerve in the head, and meninges, the thin membrane surrounding the head, causes chemical signals, resulting in a migraine. The research also found that blocking these chemical signals through calcitonin gene-related peptides (CGRP) can successfully terminate a migraine.

2018: A study established a small molecule, the Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP), as a primary trigger for migraine. This finding has opened up avenues to explore the use of an antagonistic selective PAC1 receptor to effectively treat migraine.

Who Are Some Of The Key Opinion Leaders / Researchers / Institutions Conducting Migraine Clinical Trials Research?

The Migraine Trust has funded more than 140 research projects with the singular goal of equipping migraine researchers to explore the causes and develop a deeper understanding of this peculiar headache. They also provide an avenue for people to participate in migraine clinical trials.

The National Headache Foundation funds research about headaches. It has granted over $2 million in research grants to scientists working in headache medicine.