Recent advances in the management of migraine

Abstract

Migraine remains one of the most disabling disorders worldwide. The high prevalence in the general population and the often-delicate treatment of patients account for that. Therapeutic management of migraine relies mainly on non-specific medical treatment and is affected by low patient adherence to the treatment regimens applied. The introduction of specific anti-migraine treatment occurred over 20 years ago when the first triptan was approved by regulatory authorities (sumatriptan, 28 December 1992). Triptan use is limited by side effects, time- and frequency-restricted application, and the risk of developing medication overuse headache. Within the past few years, new and promising drugs such as more specific 5-HT 1F receptor agonists (that is, lasmiditan) and monoclonal calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antibodies entered advanced development phases while non-invasive neuromodulatory approaches were suggested to be potentially effective as non-pharmaceutical interventions for migraine.