Novartis presents new migraine data for Aimovig® ▼ (erenumab)

Novartis presents new migraine data for Aimovig^®▼ (erenumab) demonstrating sustained efficacy up to 52 weeks.

Novartis announced that new data from two follow-up studies from Aimovig^® (erenumab) will be presented at the 71st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Philadelphia.

Aimovig is specifically designed to prevent migraine by blocking the CGRP receptor, which is involved in the physiological processes badociated with migraine. These new data show that Aimovig could potentially lighten the burden of disease in migraine sufferers, while showing lasting benefits over time.

Chronic migraine is defined as 15 days or more of headaches a month, of which eight or more are badociated with migraine symptoms, while episodic migraine is defined as less than 15 days of headaches per month. A one – year open – label extension study (OLE) examined the percentage of chronic migraine sufferers converted to episodic migraine as a result of Aimovig treatment. More than two-thirds (72%) of chronic migraine patients switched to episodic migraine, with numerically higher conversion rates at 140 mg vs. 70 mg (76% and 69%, respectively). The conversion is clinically significant, as evidenced by larger reductions in the monthly mean migraine count (DMM) compared to the initial study at week 52 (-12.5 and -10.6 for 140 mg and 70 mg, respectively compared to 18.1 initially) and a higher conversion rate response (82% and 71% for 140 mg and 70 mg, respectively).

In a one-year extension of the STRIVE Phase 3 study, the data show that Aimovig has provided lasting efficacy in the prevention of episodic migraine, with 65% (140 mg) and 61 % (70 mg) of patients undergoing a reduction of 50% or more in MMD. The safety profile was comparable to that observed in previous studies with no new finding of relevant safety.

"Aimovig has already been shown to reduce the number of migraine days in patients with chronic migraine. These follow-up data are important because they show a sustained response at 12 months, "said Dr. Alex Sinclair, consulting neurologist at the NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) at University Hospitals in Birmingham. "It's important to note that security data is very rebaduring over this extended period. Migraine is a very debilitating and often neglected disease. Targeted therapies against migraine are emerging, marking a breakthrough in the treatment of migraine patients. "