The Food and Drug Administration in the US has approved a new drug that significantly "resolves" migraine pain in people within just two hours.
The new drug called Reyvow by Eli Lilly'd has proven to be more effective than a placebo in resolving pain and "most bothersome" migraine symptoms that are three times more likely to affect women than men, CNBC reported.
The condition that affects more than 10 per cent of people across the world is described as an intense pulsing or throbbing pain in one area of the head and typically lasts between five and 72 hours if untreated.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, there is no absolute cure for migraine since its pathophysiology is yet to be fully understood but an attack can be prevented with the use of medications and behavioural changes.
The FDA had earlier approved Erenumab (Aimovig) and Botulinum toxin A to prevent the occurrence of chronic migraine in adults. The FDA recommends stress management strategies such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and biofeedback mechanisms to relieve migraine symptoms that include nausea, vomiting or sensitivity to both light and sound.
Nick Kozauer, MD and acting deputy director of Neurology Products for the FDA, said Reyvow, approved after two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with 3,177 adult patients with histories of migraines, was a new option for the acute treatment of migraine.
The most common side effects patients reported from Reyvow are dizziness, fatigue, a burning or prickling sensation in the skin called paresthesia, and sedation.
Roughly one-third of affected individuals can predict the onset of a migraine because it is preceded by an "aura", visual disturbances that appear as flashing lights, zig-zag lines or a temporary loss of vision.
The condition can be triggered by various factors including stress, hormonal changes, bright or flashing lights, lack of food or sleep, and poor diet.
