Migraine Drug Found to Prevent Symptoms Before Headache Begins, Study Finds
A newly published study in Nature Medicine has revealed that the migraine medication ubrogepant, marketed as Ubrelvy, may significantly reduce non-headache symptoms of migraines if taken early—before the headache itself begins.
This could mark a meaningful shift in how migraines are managed, offering hope for patients who struggle with the full spectrum of symptoms associated with these neurological attacks.
Migraines are commonly thought of as intense headaches, but for many sufferers, the pain is only part of the experience. Symptoms like nausea, neck stiffness, dizziness, fatigue, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound often appear during a phase known as the prodrome—hours before the actual headache strikes.
These early warning signs can be just as debilitating as the headache, interfering with daily activities and quality of life.
Researchers involved in the study found that ubrogepant, if taken during this prodromal stage—typically one to six hours before headache onset—was effective at reducing or even preventing these early symptoms. Participants who used the medication ahead of their migraine reported feeling more alert, less sensitive to light and sound, and experienced less neck pain and fatigue compared to when they took a placebo.
Dr. Peter Goadsby, a neuroscientist at King’s College London and co-author of the study, said that the findings highlight a neglected aspect of migraine care. He emphasized that while much of migraine research and treatment has traditionally focused on relieving the pain itself, the prodrome stage has received little attention.
This new evidence suggests that treating migraines at their earliest signs can help prevent the broader spectrum of disabling symptoms that accompany them.
Ubrogepant, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019, works by blocking a protein known as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which plays a central role in the migraine process. The drug prevents this protein from attaching to nerve endings, thereby interrupting the chain of events that typically leads to a full-blown migraine.
In the clinical trial, 438 participants who could reliably identify their prodromal symptoms were enrolled. Each participant was randomly assigned to take either ubrogepant or a placebo when they first noticed these early signs. They kept a record of their symptoms and, during their next migraine, took the alternate treatment. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew which treatment was being administered at each stage.
The results showed that ubrogepant improved patients’ ability to think clearly within an hour of taking the medication. Within a few hours, symptoms like light sensitivity, fatigue, neck pain, and sound sensitivity were also notably reduced.
However, the study underscores that timing is key. Dr. Goadsby noted that for ubrogepant to be effective in preventing these symptoms, it must be taken before the headache begins. He stressed the importance of educating patients to recognize the early signals of a migraine so they can intervene promptly and benefit fully from the medication.
The findings suggest that ubrogepant could become a valuable tool in helping migraine sufferers manage their condition more effectively, not just by relieving pain, but by stopping the disabling symptoms that signal a migraine’s approach.