Newly Approved CGRP
Blocker, Aimovig ™ (erenumab)
– The First Ever Migraine-
Specific Preventive Medication
Timothy R. Smith, MD, R.Ph., FACP, AQH
Study Metrix Research
Saint Peters, MO
Migraine disorders affect approximately 37 million
people in the United States, and is the most common
cause of disability among all neurologic disorders.
Nearly 20% of working age females are affected by
migraine. And some estimates indicate that migraine
and migraine variants cause greater than $22
billion in health costs, missed work, and lost work
productivity. Three out of four families in the US are
impacted by migraine disorders. Regrettably, more
than half of all migraine sufferers who have been
treated with migraine prophylactic medications are,
or were, dissatisfied with their treatment. And a recent
review of medical claims data indicated that as many
as 90% of all prescription medications prescribed in
the US for migraine prevention are no longer being
filled one year later. Clearly, migraine is not a trivial
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Volume 7, Issue 1 • 2018
medical disorder and despite advances over the last
2 to 3 decades, there remains unacceptable levels of
unmet medical need.
On the positive side, research over the last 15
to 20 years into the role of a brain protein called
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) in the
production of migraine, has focused on one of
the primary components of the inflammation and
disruption of normal pain processing in the brain that
causes migraine disability. Researchers confirmed
that CGRP levels increase in the blood stream
during migraine. Also, that CGRP administered
to patients with migraine causes typical migraine
pain and other symptoms to occur. Subsequently,
it has been clearly shown that blocking the effects
of CGRP can interrupt an ongoing migraine and