Scientists have revealed the prospects of a novel anti-migraine drug which promises to be better than the prevailing treatments and with fewer side effects. A deeper understanding of the brain and its manner of reaction to stimuli has led to this discovery, scientists said.
The brain of migraine sufferers is "oversensitive” and immediately reacts to stimuli like tiredness, stress, hunger, or even weather changes by giving out a one-sided pain in the head. This could be accompanied by nausea and disturbance to vision, affecting more women than men.The new drug on the block, known by a code MK0974 causes an interruption to the chain of chemical reactions in the brain. Research has shown that the during a migraine attack, the brain releases the chemical calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP); the prevailing migraine drugs block this chemical release. The novel drug known by the name of CGRP antagonist ensures that the adjoining nerve cells do not absorb the chemical release.
The results of the trial due to be presented to the American Headache Society will demonstrate that MK0974 alleviates pain and also helps in offsetting recurrent attacks of migraine for 24 hours, in comparison to the prevailing drugs.
Peter Goadsby, of the Institute of Neurology, University College London and who led the research said "MK0974 is very well tolerated and does really well compared with current treatments. It is going to be an important advance. We are well on the way to having a totally novel way of treating migraine."
Source-Medindia
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