Rimegepant orally disintegrating tablets in the acute treatment of migraine: a profile of their use

Abstract

Rimegepant orally disintegrating tablets (ODT) for sublingual or oral use (Nurtec™ ODT) are a valuable option for the acute treatment of migraine ± aura in adults, especially those with contraindications, treatment failure, or tolerability issues with triptans. Rimegepant is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, and is the first, and currently only, drug in this class available as an ODT formulation in the USA. A single sublingual dose of rimegepant ODT 75 mg provided freedom from pain, freedom from the most bothersome migraine symptoms (e.g., nausea, phonophobia, photophobia), and freedom from functional disability at 2-h post dose relative to placebo in adults with a migraine attack with pain of moderate or severe intensity ± aura. Beneficial effects on migraine were provided as early as 1-h post dose, and were sustained for 2–48 h. Rimegepant ODT was well tolerated, with a tolerability profile similar to that of placebo, with no reports of serious, cardiovascular, or hepatic adverse events in patients with migraine.