A Review of Needle-Free Sumatriptan Injection for Rapid Control of Migraine

• Published in: Headache 2013-09, Vol.53 (S2), p.21-33
• Main Authors: Rothrock, John F., Freitag, Frederick G., Farr, Stephen J., Smith III, Edward F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; autoinjector; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Drug Delivery Systems - methods; Drug therapy; Headaches; Humans; Injections, Subcutaneous; Migraine; Migraine Disorders - drug therapy; Migraine Disorders - metabolism; needle-free; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists - administration & dosage; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists - pharmacokinetics; sumatriptan; Sumatriptan - administration & dosage; Sumatriptan - pharmacokinetics; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; triptan
• ISSN: 0017-8748; 1526-4610
• DOI: 10.1111/head.12183

The treatment of migraine was transformed in 1992 with the introduction of the first triptan‐based therapy, subcutaneous (SC) sumatriptan. SC sumatriptan has high efficacy and a rapid onset of action compared with other available triptans and formulations presumably because of its short Tmax, high Cmax, and avoidance of enteral absorption. Because of these characteristics, SC sumatriptan is still considered the most reliably and rapidly effective self‐administered medication available for acute migraine. Even so, it is relatively little used possibly in part because of patient “needle‐phobia.” The needle‐free sumatriptan injection system (Sumavel DosePro) was developed to address this concern. Clinical trials have shown that the needle‐free system is bioequivalent to needle‐based injection systems, easy to use, and capable of providing rapid and effective symptom relief for many migraine episodes. Sumavel DosePro is an effective treatment for migraine and should be part of the therapeutic armamentarium, particularly in cases where a rapid onset of action is critical or where oral administration is problematic.