The multitarget drug approach in migraine treatment: the new challenge to conquer

Migraine is a complex neurovascular disorder where a complex and interrelated neuronal spinal, supraspinal and central mechanisms are involved. Although we have greatly advanced in the knowledge of the main pathways involved in this disorder, the current drugs used are not effective in all patients, suggesting that the key mechanism related to headache relief remains elusive. In this context, the multi-target drug approach or network pharmacology emerges as a new step in the development of innovative migraine pharmacotherapy. The design, discovery, and development of new drugs that reach several (instead of unique) specific targets (functional selectivity) involved in the migraine pathophysiology is essential to progress in the migraine treatment and open a new field of study about the main pathways and targets that could synergistically improve the migraine management.