Use of almotriptan in triptan-experienced and triptan-naïve patients

To evaluate the efficacy of oral almotriptan 12.5 mg as an acute treatment for migraine with a focus on triptan-experienced versus triptan-naïve patients.

Four recent Almirall-sponsored clinical trials of oral almotriptan 12.5 mg in acute migraine, in which data regarding previous acute therapy were collected, are reviewed. The results and conclusions are limited by the open-label and post hoc design of some of these trials and analyses.

In two trials, almotriptan 12.5 mg was used to treat migraine sufferers who were dissatisfied with or were receiving inadequate results with their previous therapy. One of these trials enrolled only patients whose dissatisfaction with their current therapy was confirmed by a validated questionnaire; the other looked at almotriptan 12.5 mg efficacy in patients with previous poor response to sumatriptan. In the other two trials, patients had been achieving satisfactory results with their migraine therapy; one was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial of almotriptan 12.5 mg and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg, the other was an open-label almotriptan 12.5 mg satisfaction trial. Almotriptan 12.5 mg is shown to be effective, well-tolerated, and preferred to previous agents in both patients who were satisfied with, and those who were dissatisfied with, their previous therapy.

Almotriptan should, therefore, not only be considered as first-line therapy for acute migraine but should also be considered for patients who are not satisfied with or not receiving optimal relief from their current acute therapy.