Study Compares Nurtec ODT vs 14 Other Treatments for Acute Migraine

Nurtec ODT (rimegepant; Pfizer, New York, NY) treatment for acute migraine was found to have superior or comparable efficacy and a more favorable safety profile compared with 14 other commonly used medications, which included triptans, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and compound analgesics. These interim findings from a cross-sectional study conducted in China, which drew upon real-world clinical practice data, were presented at the 67th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society (AHS).

The interim analysis was conducted as part of an ongoing nationwide prospective registry study (ChiCTR2200064494) with an enrollment goal of 15,000 patients with migraine from 100 centers in China. Between August and November 2024, data were collected from 677 participants who met International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) diagnostic criteria and were using Nurtec ODT (n=38) or other medications to treat acute migraine. Based on participant questionnaire responses, researchers assessed pain freedom within 2 hours, ≥50% pain reduction within 2 hours, or no pain improvement.

Key results included the following:

• 50.0% of participants treated with Nurtec ODT achieved pain freedom within 2 hours—the highest rate of pain freedom among all medications assessed (rizatriptan [20.3%], ibuprofen [16.7%], zolmitriptan [26.9%], acetaminophen [23.0%], and all other medications were associated with lower proportions of participants achieving pain freedom.)
• 50.0% of participants treated with Nurtec ODT achieved ≥50% pain freedom within 2 hours, which was higher than or similar to other medications assessed (comparators ranged from 33.3% [aminopyrine and caffeine tablets] to 68.8% [ioxoprofen].)
• Nurtec ODT is the only medication assessed where all participants reported some improvement; for all comparators, some participants reported no improvement, ranging from 10.9% (paracetamol caffeine and aspirin powder) to 85.7% (Chinese herbal medicine—zhengtian pills.)
• Nurtec ODT and one type of Chinese herbal medicine were the only medications assessed for which participants reported no adverse events.