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May 27, 2021Nurtec ODT Granted Indication to Prevent Episodic Migraines
May 27, 2021 – The U.S. FDA has approved a new indication for Nurtec® ODT (rimegepant), manufactured by Biohaven, for the preventive treatment of episodic migraines in adults. Nurtec ODT was originally approved in 2020 to provide acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura, making it the first and only FDA-approved medication for both acute treatment and prevention of migraines.
Approximately 95% of individuals in the U.S. who experience migraines have episodic migraines, which is defined as having 15 or fewer migraine days a month. Nurtec ODT is believed to help treat and prevent migraines by blocking the function of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a type of protein produced by the body and believed to contribute to migraine attacks by causing inflammation of the meninges (membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord).
In a clinical trial, Nurtec ODT reduced migraine days by 30% after one week of treatment. After three months of treatment, Nurtec ODT decreased monthly migraine days by 4.3 days per month, and approximately half of patients experienced at least a 50% reduction in moderate-to-severe migraine days.
Recommended dosing for prevention of episodic migraines is one 75mg orally disintegrating tablet every other day. Each tablet is stored in a blister pack and should be removed with dry hands by peeling the foil back (not by pushing the tablet through the foil). The tablet should then immediately be placed on or under the tongue to disintegrate into the saliva, which allows it to be swallowed without additional liquid. Nurtec ODT tablets should always be used immediately after opening the blister pack and should not be stored outside of the blister pack for further use.