THOUSANDS of migraine sufferers will be offered a new drug to stave off agonising symptoms.
Rimegepant has been approved for use in England, opening the way for 145,000 adults to start taking it.
The drug is taken as a wafer that dissolves under the tongue and is being recommended to people who have at least four migraines a month, when three other treatments have failed.
It is the first preventative migraine treatment that can be taken orally each day to be recommended by the National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE).
Helen Knight, of NICE, said: "Each year the lives of millions of people in England are blighted by migraine attacks.
“They can be extremely debilitating and can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.
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“For many thousands of people rimegepant is likely to be a welcome and more convenient addition to existing options for a condition that is often overlooked and undertreated.
“Today’s draft guidance demonstrates our commitment to focusing on what matters most and getting the best care to people while ensuring value for the taxpayer.”
More than 5.6million people in England suffer migraines, with around 190,000 attacks experienced every day.
Migraines can cause head pain, nausea, vomiting, vision issues, tiredness and sensitivity to light, sound and smells.
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Previous treatment options were mostly limited to drugs that are used for treating other conditions, such as beta-blockers, antidepressants and epilepsy medications.
Nice has greenlighted rimegepant for people with episodic migraines, defined as fewer than 15 attacks a month.
The drug — also known as Vydura and made by Pfizer — works by blocking a protein in the brain becoming activated.
This prevents it building up, which can cause inflammation in blood vessels intertwined with nerve endings, triggering migraines.
Three monthly injections — erenumab, galcanezumab and fremanezumab — that do this have also previously been approved, but they are less convenient.
Rimegepant has been shown to halve the amount of severe headaches patients suffer in trials.
It can also ease symptoms within 10 minutes, and will be prescribed by GPs and specialists.
Rob Music, of the Migraine Trust, said: “Too many people with migraine end up with medication overuse headache as a result of their migraine treatment, which has a serious impact on their lives.
“This is an impact which is preventable if migraine is treated effectively.
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“Gepants, the new class of migraine medication which Rimegepant is part of, can help prevent this happening.
“While we welcome that it has been approved for the preventive treatment of migraine, we are very disappointed by the decision not to approve it for the acute treatment of migraine.”
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