Oral Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide Receptor Research Articles

Sustained response to atogepant in episodic migraine: post hoc analyses of a 12-week randomized trial and a 52-week long-term safety trial

BackgroundAtogepant is an oral calcitonin gene–related peptide receptor antagonist approved for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults. These analyses evaluated the proportions of clinical trial participants who experienced sustained responses to atogepant over 12 or 52 weeks of treatment.MethodsThese were post hoc analyses of ADVANCE, a 12-week, double-blind, randomized trial of atogepant 10, 30, and 60 mg once daily vs. placebo for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine, and a separate open-label long-term safety (LTS) trial of atogepant 60 mg once daily over 52 weeks. The 60 mg dose of atogepant was used to detect safety issues. An initial response was defined as ≥50%, ≥75%, or 100% reduction from baseline in MMDs in month 1 for ADVANCE or quarter 1 for the LTS trial. The proportions of participants who continued to experience a response above each response-defining threshold through each subsequent month (for ADVANCE) or each quarter (for LTS) were calculated.ResultsIn ADVANCE, sustained response rates during months 2 and 3 varied with dose and were as follows: 70.8–81.1% following an initial ≥50% response, 47.3–61.9% following an initial ≥75% response, and 34.8–41.7% following an initial 100% response. Of those who experienced an initial ≥75% or 100% response during month 1, more than 79% continued to experience at least a 50% response during both months 2 and 3. During the LTS trial, sustained response rates through quarters 2, 3, and 4 were 84.7% following an initial ≥50% response, 72.6% following an initial ≥75% response, and 37.8% following an initial 100% response. Of those who experienced an initial ≥75% or 100% response during quarter 1, more than 90% continued to experience at least a 50% response through quarters 2, 3, and 4.ConclusionOver 70% of participants who experienced an initial response with atogepant treatment had a sustained response with continued treatment.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03777059 (submitted: December 13, 2018); NCT03700320 (submitted: September 25, 2018).

Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Atogepant Co-administered with Quinidine Gluconate in Healthy Participants: A Phase 1, Open-Label, Drug-Drug Interaction Study.

Atogepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, is approved for the preventive treatment of migraine. Atogepant is a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), breast cancer resistance protein, organic anion transporting polypeptide transporters, and cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 and 2D6. Quinidine is a strong P-gp and CYP2D6 inhibitor. A phase 1 open-label study evaluated the effect of P-gp and CYP2D6 inhibition by quinidine on the pharmacokinetics of atogepant, and the safety and tolerability of atogepant and quinidine gluconate (QG) when co-administered and when given alone in 33 healthy adults. There was no significant change in the atogepant maximum plasma concentration with QG co-administration. The overall systemic exposure, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (from time 0 to time t or to infinity), of atogepant increased by 25% when co-administered with QG. However, such an increase was not considered clinically relevant. Atogepant did not alter the mean plasma concentration of quinidine at steady state. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was highest when QG was administered alone (42.4%), which was primarily due to QT prolongation. Most TEAEs reported were mild in severity and resolved within 1-2 days. Co-administration of atogepant with QG did not result in any unexpected tolerability findings in this phase 1 study in healthy participants. The increase in atogepant exposure during QG co-administration could be due to inhibition of CYP2D6 (a minor contributor to atogepant clearance) as well as inhibition of P-gp.

Safety and tolerability of atogepant for the preventive treatment of migraine: a post hoc analysis of pooled data from four clinical trials

BackgroundConventional, non-specific preventive migraine treatments often demonstrate low rates of treatment persistence due to poor efficacy or tolerability. Effective, well-tolerated preventive treatments are needed to reduce migraine symptoms, improve function, and enhance quality of life. Atogepant is a migraine-specific oral calcitonin gene–related peptide receptor antagonist that is indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults. This analysis evaluated the safety and tolerability profile of atogepant for the preventive treatment of migraine, including adverse events (AEs) of interest, such as constipation, nausea, hepatic safety, weight changes, and cardiac disorders.MethodsThis post hoc analysis was performed using data pooled from 2 (12-week) randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) and 2 (40- and 52-week) open-label long-term safety (LTS) trials of oral atogepant for episodic migraine (EM).ResultsThe safety population included 1550 participants from the pooled RCTs (atogepant, n = 1142; placebo, n = 408) and 1424 participants from the pooled LTS trials (atogepant, n = 1228; standard care [SC], n = 196). In total, 643/1142 (56.3%) atogepant participants and 218/408 (53.4%) placebo participants experienced ≥ 1 treatment-emergent AEs (TEAEs) in the RCTs. In the LTS trials, 792/1228 (64.5%) of atogepant participants and 154/196 (78.6%) of SC participants experienced ≥ 1 TEAEs. The most commonly reported TEAEs (≥ 5%) in participants who received atogepant once daily were upper respiratory tract infection (5.3% in RCTs, 7.7% in LTS trials), constipation (6.1% in RCTs, 5.0% in LTS trials), nausea (6.6% in RCTs, 4.6% in LTS trials), and urinary tract infection (3.4% in RCTs, 5.2% in LTS trials). Additionally, weight loss appeared to be dose- and duration-dependent. Most TEAEs were considered unrelated to study drug and few led to discontinuation.ConclusionsOverall, atogepant is safe and well tolerated in pooled RCTs and LTS trials for the preventive treatment of EM in adults.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT02848326 (MD-01), NCT03777059 (ADVANCE), NCT03700320 (study 302), NCT03939312 (study 309).Graphical

Safety and efficacy of atogepant for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults for whom conventional oral preventive treatments have failed (ELEVATE): a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3b trial

Atogepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, has been approved for the preventive treatment of migraine, but its efficacy and safety in people who have been failed by conventional oral preventive migraine treatments has not yet been evaluated in a dedicated clinical trial. The ELEVATE trial evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of atogepant for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in participants for whom two to four classes of conventional oral preventive treatments have failed. ELEVATE was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase 3b trial done at 73 sites in Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, the UK, and the USA. Adults (18-80 years) with episodic migraine who had previously been failed by two to four classes of conventional oral treatments for migraine prevention were randomly assigned (1:1) using interactive web response technology to oral atogepant 60 mg once a day or placebo, stratified by baseline monthly migraine days, number of treatment classes participants have been failed by, and region. The primary endpoint was change from baseline in mean monthly migraine days across the 12-week treatment period in the off-treatment hypothetical estimand (OTHE) population, which included participants in the safety population (all participants who received ≥1 dose of study intervention) who had evaluable data available for the baseline period and for one or more of the 4-week post-baseline periods (whether on treatment or off treatment). The primary endpoint was analysed using a mixed model for repeated measures and a fixed-sequence procedure was used to control for multiple comparisons. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04740827) and EudraCT (2019-003448-58), and is completed. Between March 5, 2021, and Aug 4, 2022, 540 participants were screened, 315 were randomly assigned, and 313 participants (280 [89%] female, 33 [11%] male, and 300 [96%] White) received at least one dose of study intervention. In the OTHE population, which comprised 309 participants (155 assigned to placebo and 154 to atogepant), least squares mean changes from baseline in monthly migraine days across 12 weeks were -1·9 (SE 0·4) with placebo and -4·2 (0·4) with atogepant (least squares mean difference -2·4, 95% CI -3·2 to -1·5; adjusted p<0·0001). The most common treatment-emergent adverse event with atogepant was constipation in 16 (10%) of 156 participants (vs four [3%] of 157 for placebo). Serious adverse events occurred in four [3%] of 156 participants in the atogepant group vs none in the placebo group, and treatment-emergent adverse events resulting in treatment discontinuation occurred in three [2%] in the atogepant group vs two [1%] in the placebo group. Atogepant 60 mg once a day was safe, well tolerated, and showed significant and clinically relevant reductions in mean monthly migraine days compared with placebo across 12 weeks in patients with episodic migraine who had previously been failed by two to four classes of conventional oral preventive treatments. Atogepant might be an effective preventive treatment option for patients in this difficult-to-treat population. Allergan (now AbbVie).

Rimegepant for migraine: acute efficacy beyond the USA

The safety and efficacy of rimegepant, a synthetic molecule that competes with calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) for binding to its receptor, have been shown in two phase 3 studies on symptomatic treatment 1 Lipton RB Croop R Stock EG et al. Rimegepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, for migraine. N Engl J Med. 2019; 381: 142-149 Crossref PubMed Scopus (177) Google Scholar , 2 Croop R Goadsby PJ Stock DA et al. Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of rimegepant orally disintegrating tablet for the acute treatment of migraine: a randomised, phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2019; 394: 737-745 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (172) Google Scholar and one on prophylactic treatment 3 Croop R Lipton RB Kudrow D et al. Oral rimegepant for preventive treatment of migraine: a phase 2/3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2021; 397: 51-60 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (106) Google Scholar of migraine, all done in the USA. On the basis of these data, rimegepant was the first CGRP antagonist (gepant) to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency for both symptomatic and prophylactic treatment of migraine, giving it a unique and innovative role in the treatment of headaches. Rimegepant is available as a pill for oral administration as needed by people with migraine (ie, whenever they have a migraine attack 4 Mitsikostas DD Belesioti I Arvaniti C et al. Patients' preferences for headache acute and preventive treatment. J Headache Pain. 2017; 18: 102 Crossref PubMed Scopus (26) Google Scholar ), possibly without the risk of developing medication overuse headache, and without the need to take another medication for migraine prophylaxis. Until the development of the anti-CGRP treatments, all prophylactic anti-migraine medications had been repurposed from other diseases; these older treatments have little evidence of efficacy in migraine prophylaxis and have well known side-effects, which increases the likelihood that individuals have adverse events, reducing adherence and benefit. 5 Charles A Pozo-Rosich P Targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide: a new era in migraine therapy. Lancet. 2019; 394: 1765-1774 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (157) Google Scholar By contrast, CGRP-pathway-targeting drugs are mechanism-based, are migraine-specific, and have very good evidence of tolerability and safety. 6 Hepp Z Dodick DW Varon SF Gillard P Hansen RN Devine EB Adherence to oral migraine-preventive medications among patients with chronic migraine. Cephalalgia. 2015; 35: 478-488 Crossref PubMed Scopus (254) Google Scholar Safety and efficacy of rimegepant orally disintegrating tablet for the acute treatment of migraine in China and South Korea: a phase 3, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trialAmong adults living in China or South Korea, a single dose of 75 mg rimegepant was effective for the acute treatment of migraine. Safety and tolerability were similar to placebo. Our findings suggest that rimegepant might be a useful new addition to the range of medications for the acute treatment of migraine in China and South Korea, but further studies are needed to support long-term efficacy and safety and to compare rimegepant with other medications for the acute treatment of migraine in this population. Full-Text PDF

Safety and Efficacy of Oral Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Receptor Antagonists for the Acute Treatment of Migraine in the Pediatric Population (P9-12.010)

<h3>Objective:</h3> To evaluate the safety and efficacy of gepants for the acute treatment of migraine in pediatric patients. <h3>Background:</h3> Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been found to be elevated during migraine attacks. Gepants are oral CGRP receptor antagonists, which have been shown to be effective for acute and preventive treat of migraine in adults. Generally, they are well tolerated with limited side effects. Currently, they are FDA approved in adults for migraine, however, there is limited data on their use in pediatrics. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> Retrospective chart review of patients &lt; 18 years old who were prescribed a gepant (rimegepant or ubrogepant) for acute migraine treatment at a single institution from 1/1/2020 to 1/1/2023. Data was collected through chart review for all patients that used ≥ 1 dose of a gepant. Safety and tolerability were assessed through reported side effects, laboratory data and vital signs pre- and post-gepant use. The data was evaluated using descriptive statistics and compared using paired t-tests. <h3>Results:</h3> Thirteen patients were identified. Median (range) age was 16 years (13 to 17). There were 10 females and 3 males. Five (38%) had episodic migraine, 5 (38%) had chronic migraine and 3 (23%) had hemiplegic migraine. At baseline, median (range) headache days per month was 10 (0 to 30). Patients tried on median (range) 5 (1 to 8) acute medications before being prescribed a gepant. At the follow-up visit, 11 (85%) had reported any improvement or resolution of their migraine attack with use of a gepant. Zero patients reported side effects and there were no significant laboratory, height or weight changes seen after gepant use. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> The results indicate that gepants may be an effective acute treatment for migraine in pediatric patients. They appear to be safe and well-tolerated. However, larger prospective and randomized trials need to be conducted to confirm these results. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Tourlas has stock in Axonics Modulation Technologies (AXNX). Dr. Tourlas has stock in Biote (BTMD). An immediate family member of Dr. Pavitt has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Lundbeck.

Benefit-Risk Assessment of Atogepant: A Post Hoc Analysis of the ADVANCE Trial (P12-12.001)

Benefit-Risk Assessment of Atogepant: A Post Hoc Analysis of the ADVANCE Trial (P12-12.001)

Safety and tolerability results of atogepant for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine from a 40-week, open-label multicenter extension of the phase 3 ADVANCE trial

Atogepant is a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine. The study objective was to evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of atogepant in participants who completed the phase 3 ADVANCE trial (NCT03777059). This 40-week, open-label extension trial (NCT03939312) monitored safety in participants receiving oral atogepant 60 mg once daily, followed by a four-week safety follow-up period. Of the 685 participants taking at least one dose of atogepant, the treatment period was completed by 74.6% of participants with a mean (standard deviation) treatment duration of 233.6 (89.3) days. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 62.5% of participants, with upper respiratory tract infection (5.5%), urinary tract infection (5.3%), nasopharyngitis (4.8%), sinusitis (3.6%), constipation (3.4%), and nausea (3.4%) occurring at ≥3%. Serious adverse events were observed in 3.4% of participants (none were treatment-related), and there were no deaths. Adverse events leading to discontinuation occurring at >0.1% were nausea (0.4%) and abdominal pain, vomiting, weight decrease, dizziness, and migraine (0.3% each). These results are consistent with atogepant's known safety profile and support long-term use of atogepant 60 mg once daily dosing as safe and well tolerated.ClinicalTrials.gov Registration Number: NCT03939312.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessments of atogepant in healthy male adults: Results from phase 1 studies

Background/Hypothesis: Atogepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, is approved for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults. This manuscript characterizes the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship of atogepant in healthy males. Methods: Data from two single-ascending dose phase 1 studies of atogepant were utilized to characterize pharmacokinetics and demonstrate proof of activity of atogepant in a capsaicin-induced dermal vasodilatation model and to determine the dosage(s) that results in 90% inhibition of capsaicin-induced dermal vasodilatation (effective concentration, EC90) over 24 hours. Results: Single (0.4−200 mg) doses of atogepant were generally well tolerated by healthy participants with no treatment-related study discontinuations. Atogepant was rapidly absorbed with peak plasma concentrations occurring 1–2 hours post dose and a mean elimination half-life of ∼11 hours. Based on the capsaicin-induced dermal vasodilatation and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models, atogepant has an estimated EC90 of 13.6 nM which was reached within 30 minutes at therapeutic doses and maintained for 24 hours at dosages of 60 mg once daily and 30 and 60 mg twice daily. Conclusion/Interpretation: Atogepant reached effective concentrations within 0.5 hours which were maintained for 24 hours at dosages of 60 mg once daily and 30 and 60 mg twice daily for the prevention of migraine. Trial Registration: Clinical Trial EudraCT Numbers: 2011-005020-18 (Study 1) and 2012-001192-36 (Study 2).

A short review on atogepant: recently approved first oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist

Migraine is the second leading cause of disability in terms of ‘years lived with disability’ and it affects globally about 12% of the general population. Currently available preventive therapies are not specific to migraine. After the discovery of calcitonin gene-related peptide’s (CGRP’s) role in migraine pathophysiology, CGRP receptor antagonist drugs were developed specifically for migraine. Atogepant is the only oral, selective, potent, second-generation CGRP receptor antagonist approved in September 2021 by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prophylaxis of episodic migraines and chronic migraines. It acts by blocking the α-CGRP receptor present on the vascular smooth muscle cell membrane of cranial arteries. It has the added advantage of oral administration, less hepatotoxicity, minimal drug–drug interactions (DDIs) with better efficacy, safety, and tolerability profile compared to the other CGRP receptor antagonists. This present review summarizes the physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) parameters, uses, and drug-food interactions with the help of available current evidence.

Functionality, satisfaction, and global impression of change with ubrogepant for the acute treatment of migraine in triptan insufficient responders: a post hoc analysis of the ACHIEVE I and ACHIEVE II randomized trials

BackgroundTriptans are the first-line option for the acute treatment of migraine attacks; however, triptans are contraindicated in people with certain underlying cardiovascular risk factors and are associated with inadequate efficacy or poor tolerability in some individuals. Ubrogepant is an oral calcitonin gene–related peptide receptor antagonist approved for the acute treatment of migraine.MethodsThis post hoc analysis of the phase 3 ACHIEVE trials examined the impact of ubrogepant on the Functional Disability Scale (FDS), satisfaction with medication, and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) in participants who were self-reported triptan insufficient responders (TIRs), defined as those who are unable to take triptans due to contraindications, tolerability issues, or insufficient efficacy. Responder definitions for the FDS, satisfaction measures, and PGIC were based on qualitative interpretation of the respective response options for the pooled ubrogepant 50 mg and placebo groups.ResultsIn the pooled analysis population (n = 1799), 451 (25%) participants were TIRs, with most (80%) reporting insufficient efficacy with triptan use. A significantly higher proportion of TIRs treated with ubrogepant vs placebo reported being able to function normally from 2 to 8 h post dose (P < 0.05). Notably, significance was demonstrated at the time of the primary outcome assessments (2 h post dose), where rates of normal function were 38% for ubrogepant vs 29% for placebo (P = 0.048). A greater proportion of TIRs in the ubrogepant arm vs the placebo arm were satisfied with treatment at 2 (33% vs 21%, P = 0.006) and 24 h (58% vs 28%, P < 0.001) and indicated that their migraine improved at 2 h vs placebo (30% vs 18%, P = 0.006). Results were generally similar in the insufficient efficacy subpopulation of TIRs as in the overall TIRs group. Ubrogepant was safe and well tolerated in TIRs, with no new safety signals identified.ConclusionsIn people with migraine who are TIRs, individuals treated with ubrogepant had favorable 2-h outcomes, as measured by the FDS, satisfaction with medication, and PGIC, compared with placebo.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02828020 (ACHIEVE I), registered July 11, 2016; NCT02867709 (ACHIEVE II), registered August 16, 2016.

Newer Horizon for Treatment of Acute Attack of Migraine: Lasmiditan and Ubrogepant.

Migraine is characterized by severe, intermittent headache attacks with associated symptoms including nausea, vomiting, phonophobia, and photophobia. Still Triptans (selective 5-HT1B/D agonists) are considered as the first-line therapy in acute attack of migraine. Recently two new drugs Lasmiditan and Ubrogepant were approved by United States Food and Drug Administration in acute attack of migraine with or without aura in adults. Lasmiditan is a highly selective 5-HT1F receptor agonist which demonstrated superiority to placebo in the acute treatment of migraine in adults with moderate/severe migraine disability in two similarly designed phase-3 trials, SAMURAI and SPARTAN. Ubrogepant is a novel small molecule oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist. The approval was supported by two pivotal phase-3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (ACHIEVE I and ACHIEVE II) that evaluated the efficacy, safety, tolerability. Hopefully, these two drugs may soon be a new addition to the mounting armory of drugs against migraine and may fulfill a substantial unmet need.

Evaluation of the pharmacokinetic interaction and safety of ubrogepant coadministered with acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: A randomized trial

Background:Ubrogepant is a novel, oral calcitonin gene–related peptide receptor antagonist approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults.Objectives:To assess potential pharmacokinetic (PK) drug–drug interactions in healthy participants and inform the safety and tolerability of ubrogepant alone and in combination with acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in healthy participants and participants with migraine.Methods:Two phase 1, three-way crossover studies randomized healthy adults to 100 mg ubrogepant alone, 1000 mg acetaminophen or 500 mg naproxen alone, and 100 mg ubrogepant plus 1000 mg acetaminophen or 500 mg naproxen. Geometric mean ratios (GMRs) and 90% confidence intervals were calculated based on statistical comparison of maximum plasma drug concentration ( Cmax) and area under the plasma drug concentration–time curve (AUC) for treatment in combination versus alone. Two phase 3 randomized trials included adults with migraine. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were evaluated.Results:Time to Cmaxand terminal elimination half-life for all treatments were unchanged when coadministered. Ubrogepant Cmaxand AUC increased by approximately 40% when coadministered with acetaminophen. Acetaminophen Cmaxdecreased by 24% (GMR = 0.76) when coadministered with ubrogepant. There were no significant PK interactions between ubrogepant and naproxen. TEAE rates in the acetaminophen and NSAID rescue medication groups were similar to ubrogepant alone.Conclusions:Coadministration of ubrogepant and acetaminophen resulted in a statistically significant increase in ubrogepant exposure and a decrease in acetaminophen Cmax; however, these changes were not clinically relevant. No statistically or clinically relevant changes in PK were associated with ubrogepant and naproxen coadministration. No safety concerns were identified for ubrogepant alone or in combination with acetaminophen or NSAIDs.

The effect of multiple doses of ubrogepant on the pharmacokinetics of an oral contraceptive in healthy women: Results of an open-label, single-center, two-period, fixed-sequence study

Background: Ubrogepant is a novel, oral calcitonin gene–related peptide receptor antagonist for acute treatment of migraine. This study evaluated potential drug–drug interactions between ubrogepant and an oral contraceptive containing ethinyl estradiol (EE) and norgestimate (NGM). Methods: This open-label, single-center, two-period, fixed-sequence study enrolled healthy, postmenopausal or oophorectomized, adult women. In period 1, participants received a single oral dose of EE 0.035 mg/NGM 0.25 mg (EE-NGM) followed by a 7-day washout. In period 2, participants received oral ubrogepant 50 mg daily on days 1–14; single-dose EE-NGM was coadministered with ubrogepant on day 10. Pharmacokinetic parameters for plasma EE and norelgestromin (NGMN) were compared with and without ubrogepant. Results: Twenty-two participants aged 46–66 years were enrolled; 21 completed the study. Geometric mean ratios and 90% confidence intervals for the comparison of EE-NGM + ubrogepant to EE-NGM alone were contained within 0.80 and 1.25 for area under the plasma drug concentration–time curve (AUC) from time zero to infinity (AUC0–∞; 0.96 [0.91, 1.01]) and C max (0.91 [0.82, 1.004]) of NGMN and AUC0–∞ (0.97 [0.93, 1.01]) of EE, but not C max of EE (0.74 [0.69, 0.79]). Median t max of EE was delayed following EE-NGM + ubrogepant (3.0 h) versus EE-NGM alone (median of 1.5 h), whereas median t max of NGMN was unchanged (1.5 h). Geometric mean apparent terminal half-life ( t ½) was similar with and without ubrogepant for EE (23 vs. 21 h) and NGMN (36 h both conditions). All ubrogepant-related adverse events were mild or moderate. Conclusion: Ubrogepant did not demonstrate potential for clinically meaningful drug–drug interactions with an EE-NGM oral contraceptive. Trial registration: Not applicable (phase 1 trial)

Oral rimegepant increased freedom from pain and from most bothersome symptom at 2 h in acute migraine.

ACP Journal Club19 November 2019Oral rimegepant increased freedom from pain and from most bothersome symptom at 2 h in acute migraineLucas McCarthy, MD, MSLucas McCarthy, MD, MSVirginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA (L.M.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/ACPJ201911190-059 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Source CitationLipton RB, Croop R, Stock EG, et al. Rimegepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, for migraine. N Engl J Med. 2019;381:142-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31291516Clinical Impact RatingsGIM/FP/GP: Neurology: References1 Ferrari MD, Goadsby PJ, Roon KI, Lipton RB. Triptans (serotonin, 5-HT1B/1D agonists) in migraine: detailed results and methods of a meta-analysis of 53 trials. Cephalalgia. 2002;22:633-58. [PMID: 12383060] Google Scholar2 Marcus R, Goadsby PJ, Dodick D, et al. BMS-927711 for the acute treatment of migraine: a double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled, dose-ranging trial. Cephalalgia. 2014;34:114-25. [PMID: 23965396] Google Scholar3 Deen M, Correnti E, Kamm K, et al; European Headache Federation School of Advanced Studies (EHF-SAS). Blocking CGRP in migraine patients - a review of pros and cons. J Headache Pain. 2017;18:96. [PMID: 28948500] Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA (L.M.)This article was published at Annals.org on 5 November 2019. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoOrally disintegrating rimegepant increased freedom from pain and from most bothersome symptom at 2 h in acute migraine Lucas McCarthy Metrics 19 November 2019Volume 171, Issue 10Page: JC59KeywordsAdverse eventsCalcitoninMigraineNauseaNumber needed to treatPhase 2 trialsProtease inhibitorsSafetySerious adverse eventsVasodilation ePublished: 19 November 2019 Issue Published: 19 November 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...

Effect of Ubrogepant vs Placebo on Pain and the Most Bothersome Associated Symptom in the Acute Treatment of Migraine

Ubrogepant is an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist under investigation for acute treatment of migraine. To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ubrogepant compared with placebo for acute treatment of a single migraine attack. Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-attack, clinical trial (ACHIEVE II) conducted in the United States (99 primary care and research clinics; August 26, 2016-February 26, 2018). Participants were adults with migraine with or without aura experiencing 2 to 8 migraine attacks per month. Ubrogepant 50 mg (n = 562), ubrogepant 25 mg (n = 561), or placebo (n = 563) for a migraine attack of moderate or severe pain intensity. Co-primary efficacy outcomes were pain freedom and absence of the participant-designated most bothersome migraine-associated symptom (among photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea) at 2 hours after taking the medication. Among 1686 randomized participants, 1465 received study treatment (safety population; mean age, 41.5 years; 90% female); 1355 of 1465 (92.5%) were evaluable for efficacy. Pain freedom at 2 hours was reported by 101 of 464 participants (21.8%) in the ubrogepant 50-mg group, 90 of 435 (20.7%) in the ubrogepant 25-mg group, and 65 of 456 (14.3%) in the placebo group (absolute difference for 50 mg vs placebo, 7.5%; 95% CI, 2.6%-12.5%; P = .01; 25 mg vs placebo, 6.4%; 95% CI, 1.5%-11.5%; P = .03). Absence of the most bothersome associated symptom at 2 hours was reported by 180 of 463 participants (38.9%) in the ubrogepant 50-mg group, 148 of 434 (34.1%) in the ubrogepant 25-mg group, and 125 of 456 (27.4%) in the placebo group (absolute difference for 50 mg vs placebo, 11.5%; 95% CI, 5.4%-17.5%; P = .01; 25 mg vs placebo, 6.7%; 95% CI, 0.6%-12.7%; P = .07). The most common adverse events within 48 hours of any dose were nausea (50 mg, 10 of 488 [2.0%]; 25 mg, 12 of 478 [2.5%]; and placebo, 10 of 499 [2.0%]) and dizziness (50 mg, 7 of 488 [1.4%]; 25 mg, 10 of 478 [2.1%]; placebo, 8 of 499 [1.6%]). Among adults with migraine, acute treatment with ubrogepant compared with placebo led to significantly greater rates of pain freedom at 2 hours with 50-mg and 25-mg doses, and absence of the most bothersome migraine-associated symptom at 2 hours only with the 50-mg dose. Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of ubrogepant against other acute treatments for migraine and to evaluate the long-term safety of ubrogepant among unselected patient populations. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02867709.

Rimegepant, an Oral Calcitonin Gene–Related Peptide Receptor Antagonist, for Migraine

BackgroundCalcitonin gene–related peptide receptor has been implicated in the pathogenesis of migraine. Rimegepant is an orally administered, small-molecule, calcitonin gene–related peptide receptor antagonist that may be effective in acute migraine treatment.MethodsIn a multicenter, double-blind, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned adults with at least a 1-year history of migraine and two to eight migraine attacks of moderate or severe intensity per month to receive rimegepant orally at a dose of 75 mg or matching placebo for the treatment of a single migraine attack. The primary end points were freedom from pain and freedom from the most bothersome symptom (other than pain) identified by the patient, both of which were assessed 2 hours after the dose of rimegepant or placebo was administered.ResultsA total of 1186 patients were randomly assigned to receive rimegepant (594 patients) or placebo (592 patients); of these, 537 patients in the rimegepant group and 535 patients in the placebo group could be evaluated for efficacy. The overall mean age of the patients evaluated for efficacy was 40.6 years, and 88.7% were women. In a modified intention-to-treat analysis, the percentage of patients who were pain-free 2 hours after receiving the dose was 19.6% in the rimegepant group and 12.0% in the placebo group (absolute difference, 7.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.3 to 11.9; P<0.001). The percentage of patients who were free from their most bothersome symptom 2 hours after the dose was 37.6% in the rimegepant group and 25.2% in the placebo group (absolute difference, 12.4 percentage points; 95% CI, 6.9 to 17.9; P<0.001). The most common adverse events were nausea and urinary tract infection.ConclusionsTreatment of a migraine attack with the oral calcitonin gene–related peptide receptor antagonist rimegepant resulted in a higher percentage of patients who were free of pain and free from their most bothersome symptom than placebo. (Funded by Biohaven Pharmaceuticals; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03237845.)

Population PK Analyses of Ubrogepant (MK-1602), a CGRP Receptor Antagonist: Enriching In-Clinic Plasma PK Sampling With Outpatient Dried Blood Spot Sampling.

Merck & Co., Inc. (Kenilworth, New Jersey) has recently published an integrated strategy for implementation of dried blood spots (DBS) in late-stage trials for population pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling. We applied this strategy for another late-stage clinical program: ubrogepant (MK-1602), a novel oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist for acute treatment of migraine. At the time of implementation, ubrogepant was entering phase 2 development. DBS was implemented to acquire PK information proximal to an acute migraine event to enable exposure-response modeling. The clinical endpoint was a spontaneous event, which generally occurs outside a clinic visit. Thus, an innovative feature of this trial was facilitating DBS in an outpatient setting. In vitro and bioanalytical tests established initial method feasibility and suitability for further evaluations in the clinic. A quantitative relationship was developed between blood and plasma concentrations from concurrently collected samples in a phase 1 (healthy subjects) and phase 2 (target patient population) study using graphical and population PK approaches. This integrated information was presented to the Food and Drug Administration for regulatory input. Following regulatory concurrence, DBS was poised for use in further clinical studies. Population PK modeling was used to dissect sources of variability contributing to DBS collection in the outpatient setting. What has been learned from this program has informed the broader integrated strategy of Merck & Co., Inc. (Kenilworth, NJ) for DBS implementation in clinical trials and research to improve the precision of PK data collected in an outpatient setting.

Effect of Added Alkalizer and Surfactant on Dissolution and Absorption of the Potassium Salt of a Weakly Basic Poorly Water-Soluble Drug

Telcagepant potassium salt (MK-0974) is an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor inhibitor investigated for the treatment of acute migraine. Under gastric pH conditions, the salt rapidly gels, then converts to an insoluble neutral form that creates an impervious shell on the tablet surface, resulting in a slow and variable release dissolution rate and poor bioavailability. Early attempts to develop a solid dosage form, including solid dispersion and nanosuspension formulations, resulted in low exposures in preclinical studies. Thus, a liquid-filled soft gelatin capsule (SGC) formulation (oblong 20) was used for clinical studies. However, a solid dosage form was desirable for commercialization. The slow dissolution of the tablet formulations was overcome by using a basifying agent, arginine, and inclusion of a nonionic surfactant, poloxamer 407. The combination of arginine and poloxamer in the formulation created a local transient basic microenvironment that promoted the dissolution of the salt and prevented rapid precipitation of the neutral form on the tablet surface to form the gel layer. The tablet formulation achieved fast absorption and comparable exposure to the SGC formulation. The final optimized 280 mg tablet formulation was successfully demonstrated to be bioequivalent to the 300 mg SGC formulation.

Randomized Controlled Study of Telcagepant Plus Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen in Migraine

To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of telcagepant when co-administered with ibuprofen or acetaminophen for the acute treatment of migraine. Telcagepant is an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist which is being evaluated for the acute treatment of migraine. Combining telcagepant with analgesics that have a different mechanism of action could produce greater efficacy. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were randomized to treat a moderate or severe migraine headache with either telcagepant 280 mg + ibuprofen 400 mg (N = 171), telcagepant 280 mg + acetaminophen 1000 mg (N = 171), telcagepant 280 mg (N =170), or placebo (N = 171). The primary efficacy endpoint was 2-hour pain freedom. The study had approximately 88% power to detect an additive effect of at least 15 percentage points (telcagepant combination vs telcagepant monotherapy) and 48% power to detect an additive effect of at least 10 percentage points. Safety and tolerability were assessed by adverse events and laboratory tests. The percentages of patients with 2-hour pain freedom were greater in each active treatment group compared to placebo (P < .001): telcagepant + ibuprofen = 35.2%, telcagepant + acetaminophen = 38.3%, telcagepant = 31.2%, placebo = 10.9%. No significant differences were seen for either of the combination groups vs telcagepant monotherapy, but both were numerically larger than telcagepant monotherapy. All the active treatments were generally well tolerated. The percentage of patients reporting any adverse event within 48 hours was higher in the active treatment groups than placebo: telcagepant + ibuprofen = 30.3%, telcagepant + acetaminophen = 31.6%, telcagepant = 24.8%, placebo = 18.2%. The most common adverse events reported by ≥ 4 patients in one or more of the treatment groups that included telcagepant were fatigue, nausea, dizziness, somnolence, dry mouth, and tremor. The combination of telcagepant 280 mg with either ibuprofen 400 mg or acetaminophen 1000 mg did not show a statistically significant difference from telcagepant alone. Numerically greater treatment effects in the combination treatment groups over the telcagepant 280 mg monotherapy suggest that telcagepant combination treatments may merit further evaluation in studies powered to detect smaller additive benefits. (Clinicaltrials.gov; NCT00758836).