{"id":1940,"date":"2024-04-11T15:25:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T15:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/11\/migraine-pill-that-helps-prevent-recurring-headaches-is-approved-by-nhs\/"},"modified":"2024-04-11T15:25:45","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T15:25:45","slug":"migraine-pill-that-helps-prevent-recurring-headaches-is-approved-by-nhs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/11\/migraine-pill-that-helps-prevent-recurring-headaches-is-approved-by-nhs\/","title":{"rendered":"Migraine pill that helps prevent recurring headaches is approved by NHS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A migraine pill which could change the lives of thousands of people who suffer from the “incredibly debilitating” condition should be made accessible on the NHS “swiftly”, a charity has said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Atogepant – sold under the brand name Aquipta and made by AbbVie – has been given the green light for NHS <\/strong>use under new final draft guidance from the National Institute for Health<\/strong> and Care Excellence (Nice).<\/p>\n

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Anyone who experiences at least four migraine days a month and has tried at least three other treatments but found no relief, will be eligible for the once-daily pill. It means some 170,000 migraine sufferers will have more treatment options, Nice said.<\/p>\n

However, Nice recommends interrupting the treatment after three months if chronic migraines – that happen on more than 15 days of the month – do not reduce by at least 30% and episodic migraine – which happen on fewer than 15 days of the month – by at least 50%.<\/p>\n

According to The Migraine Trust, about 10 million adults in the UK are living with the condition.<\/p>\n

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Describing how a migraine attack can be “incredibly debilitating”, the charity’s chief executive, Rob Music, called for “swift” access to the drug on the NHS.<\/p>\n

“Symptoms can include intense head pain, loss of or changes to the senses, and lack of ability to carry out day-to-day life,” he said.<\/p>\n

“It is positive to see even more therapies emerging for people with migraine as many still rely on treatments developed for other conditions.<\/p>\n

“We now need to ensure access is swift, so that migraine patients can benefit from them as quickly as possible.”<\/p>\n

Health minister Andrew Stephenson said: “Migraines affect millions of people in this country and this new treatment will help prevent recurring migraine attacks when other medicines have failed.<\/p>\n

“It will allow more people whose daily life is affected by this painful, debilitating condition to manage their migraines more effectively and to live their lives to the fullest.”<\/p>\n

Nice’s guidance for England comes after Aquipta was recommended for use in Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) in October last year.<\/p>\n

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: “Currently, the most effective options for people with chronic migraines who have already tried three preventative treatments are drugs that need to be injected.<\/p>\n

“The committee heard from patient experts that some people cannot have injectable treatments, for example because they have an allergy or phobia of needles.”<\/p>\n

Ms Knight said patients with chronic migraines “would welcome an oral treatment” while Aquipta also offers more choice to those suffering from episodic migraines.<\/p>\n

If there are no appeals against its final draft guidance, Nice is expected to publish its final guidance on the drug next month.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This post appeared first on sky.com<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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