Zolmitriptan (Zomig, 311C90), a novel dual central and peripheral 5HT1B/1D agonist: an overview of efficacy

The efficacy of zolmitriptan (Zomig, 311C90), a 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT)1B/1D receptor agonist, in the acute oral treatment of migraine was evaluated in an extensive clinical trial program. Four randomized, placebo-controlled studies (total 2480 patients) were performed; data from two of these trials established that a 2.5 mg dose was on the shoulder of the dose-response curve (2-h headache response rate 64%), showing similar efficacy to the 5 mg dose (67%). In this program, the efficacy of zolmitriptan was not influenced by the pretreatment headache duration; the presence of aura preceding the headache, migraine associated with menses or migraine upon awakening; or by concomitant use of oral contraceptives or antidepressants. In addition, zolmitriptan 5 mg proved consistently effective in the treatment of multiple migraine attacks for up to 1 year. Zolmitriptan reduced the incidence of nausea, photophobia and phonophobia, reduced impairment of normal activity and demonstrated positive effects on patients' quality of life. Thus, zolmitriptan is a highly effective acute oral antimigraine therapy, with 2.5 mg providing the optimal balance between efficacy and tolerability.