Experience with erenumab: Data from real clinical practice

Abstract

IntroductionThe development of monoclonal antibodies against calcitonin gene-related peptide has represented a revolution in the treatment of migraine. Erenumab was the first of these drugs to be available in clinical practice in our setting. MethodsWe performed a prospective study of patients from real clinical practice, measuring efficacy (headache days per month and migraine days per month), safety, and disease impact; data were collected at the onset of treatment with erenumab and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. ResultsOur sample included 31 patients diagnosed with refractory migraine, presenting a mean of 18.5 headache days and 13.2 migraine days per month. A response rate of 50% was obtained in 58.6%, 65.2%, 69.2%, and 62.5% of patients at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively. According to Patient Global Impression of Change scale scores, 64.5% of patients rated their clinical improvement as good or excellent at 3 months, 65.2% at 6 months, 84.6% at 9 months, and 100% of cases at 12 months follow-up. A total of 45% of patients experienced mild adverse reactions, the most frequent being constipation. No severe adverse reactions were reported. ConclusionsErenumab is an effective and safe option for the prevention of episodic and chronic migraine. Our results are similar to those obtained in real-world studies; however, results require confirmation in larger numbers of patients.