migraine
Migraine is a condition distinguished by recurrent episodes of a characteristic headache, which can be accompanied by a variety of other symptoms such as nausea, sensitivityto light and sound,and fatigue.
The average migraine patient suffers 12 attacks a year. The International Headache Society estimates that about 25% of migraine patients have three or more attacks per month and could benefit from migraine prevention treatment.
In about 40% of patients attacks can be preceded by aura (usually visual phenomena such as flashing lights, zigzag lines and loss of visual fields). A migraine attack, which typically lasts about 24 hours but can range from 4-72 hours, has three distinct phases: the prodrome phase, when an array of individual warning signs - like blurred vision or tingling of the skin - may begin to appear; the headache phase;and the postdrome phase when many patients report fatigue or other “hangover-like” symptoms.
As migraine attacks are prolonged, many patients and especially those with frequent attacks, lose a significant amount of work and family time to suffering caused by the disease. Indeed, migraine is currently estimated to cost employers $13 billion annually in lost productivity in the United States. Prevalence of migraine is estimated at 12% in the United States, where about 30 million people suffer from migraine.
Three times as many women as men suffer from migraine and a significant proportion of female patients have a strong link between their menstrual cycle and the occurrence of their migraine attacks.
The total worldwide market for prescription migraine drugs was estimated at $2.4 billion in 2005 with the United States being the major market with sales of approximately $1.5 billion. The migraine market is projected to increase to $2.7 billion in 2008. This market is currently dominated by acute treatments such as the triptans, of which there are seven on the market. The major unmet need is for migraine preventive agents. There are very few licensed products for migraine prevention and there is room for improvement for both efficacy and side effects.
mGluR5 & migraine
ADX10059 in migraine