How Does Almotriptan Compare With Other Triptans? A Review of Data From Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials

Almotriptan, the new selective 5‐HT1B/1D agonist, has a higher oral bioavailability than any other triptan, with more than two thirds of the administered dose absorbed within the first hour both inside and outside of a migraine attack. Gender or the presence of food in the stomach does not affect it...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Headache 2002-02, Vol.42 (2), p.99-113
Main Authors: Dahlöf, Carl G.H., Dodick, David, Dowson, Andrew J., Pascual, Julio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
almotriptan
Biological and medical sciences
Cardiovascular system
drug tolerability
efficacy
Humans
Indoles - adverse effects
Indoles - therapeutic use
Medical sciences
migraine
Migraine Disorders - drug therapy
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Placebos
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Recurrence
Serotonin Receptor Agonists - adverse effects
Serotonin Receptor Agonists - therapeutic use
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
triptans
Tryptamines
Vasodilator agents. Cerebral vasodilators
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Almotriptan, the new selective 5‐HT1B/1D agonist, has a higher oral bioavailability than any other triptan, with more than two thirds of the administered dose absorbed within the first hour both inside and outside of a migraine attack. Gender or the presence of food in the stomach does not affect its pharmacokinetic profile, and the compound has no clinically relevant interactions with other drugs. Among the available triptans, response rates at 2 hours range from 50% to 80%, with 20% to 50% of patients pain‐free. Almotriptan 12.5 mg provides similar efficacy, with significant advantage over placebo at 30 minutes and a reliable consistency (75% in two of three attacks). Headache typically recurs in 25% to 45% of patients with most triptans. The recurrence rate with almotriptan 12.5 mg, 18% to 27%, is among the lowest reported. The tolerability of almotriptan 12.5 mg is close to that of placebo with a low incidence of central nervous system side effects and chest symptoms. In conclusion, almotriptan's consistent pharmacokinetics and good efficacy, in combination with excellent tolerability, make it an attractive choice in the acute treatment of migraine attacks.
ISSN:0017-8748
1526-4610
DOI:10.1046/j.1526-4610.2002.02025.x