Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Newly Approved Drug Ushers In Hopeful Era For Patients Who Experience Debilitating Migraines
The New York Times: New Drug Offers Hope To Millions With Severe Migraines
The drug, Aimovig, made by Amgen and Novartis, is a monthly injection with a device similar to an insulin pen. The list price will be $6,900 a year, and Amgen said the drug will be available to patients within a week. Aimovig blocks a protein fragment, CGRP, that instigates and perpetuates migraines. Three other companies — Lilly, Teva and Alder — have similar medicines in the final stages of study or awaiting F.D.A. approval. “The drugs will have a huge impact,” said Dr. Amaal Starling, a neurologist and migraine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. “This is really an amazing time for my patient population and for general neurologists treating patients with migraine.” (Kolata, 5/17)
The Associated Press: US Approves 1st Drug Developed To Prevent Chronic Migraines
U.S. regulators Thursday approved the first drug designed to prevent chronic migraines. The Food and Drug Administration's action clears the monthly shot Aimovig for sale. It's the first in a new class of long-acting drugs for preventing migraines. Three other shots are expected to win approval by next year, and several pills for preventing migraines are being tested. (Johnson, 5/17)
The Wall Street Journal: FDA Approves Migraine Medicine
Currently, said Dr. Kadrie, clinicians tend to use drugs such as blood-pressure medicine and drugs for seizures that “happen to prevent migraines.” It is estimated that in the U.S., more than 37 million people suffer from migraines, and there are studies suggesting that as many as 13% of the adult U.S. population have them, including two million to three million who are chronic sufferers. The condition tends to be about three times as frequent in women as in men, and is especially prevalent in the age group between 35 and 55 years old. (Burton, 5/17)
Stat: Amgen's New Migraine Drug Will Cost 30 Percent Less Than Wall Street Expected
Amgen will charge $6,900 a year for a new drug that can spare migraine sufferers a few headaches each month, a price that comes in well below Wall Street expectations as the company hopes to avoid the payer backlash that has hamstrung recent drug launches. In clinical trials, patients who took Amgen’s drug experienced about two fewer migraines per month compared to those who got placebo. Doctors have described the effect as modest, but the difference was enough to convince the Food and Drug Administration, which approved the treatment Thursday. (Garde, 5/17)
