Rizatriptan in the treatment of migraine

• Published in: Clinical therapeutics 1999-11, Vol.21 (11), p.1823-1836
• Main Authors: Dahlof, Carl G.H., Rapoport, Alan M., Sheftell, Fred D., Lines, Christopher R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular system; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; headache pain; Humans; Medical sciences; migraine; Migraine Disorders - drug therapy; Migraine Disorders - metabolism; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; rizatriptan; Safety; selective 5-hydroxytriptamine receptor agonist; Serotonin Receptor Agonists - administration & dosage; Serotonin Receptor Agonists - pharmacokinetics; Serotonin Receptor Agonists - therapeutic use; Triazoles - administration & dosage; Triazoles - pharmacokinetics; Triazoles - therapeutic use; Tryptamines; Vasodilator agents. Cerebral vasodilators
• ISSN: 0149-2918; 1879-114X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0149-2918(00)86731-4

Rizatriptan is a selective 5-hydroxytriptamine 1B/1D receptor agonist that was launched in 1998 for the acute treatment of migraine in adults. Based on data from 6 large clinical trials in patients 8 years of age in whom migraine was diagnosed according to International Headache Society criteria, the marketed 10-mg and 5-mg oral doses of rizatriptan are effective in relieving headache pain and associated migraine symptoms. The 10-mg dose is more effective than the 5-mg dose. At 2 hours after dosing, up to 77% of patients taking rizatriptan 10 mg had pain relief compared with 37% of those taking placebo, up to 44% were completely pain free compared with 7% of those taking placebo, and up to 77% were free of nausea compared with 58% of those taking placebo ( P < 0.05 for all 3 comparisons). Both doses of rizatriptan are generally well tolerated, hi placebo-controlled studies involving treatment of a single migraine attack, the most common side effects (incidence ≥2%) occurred in