Richard B. Lipton, MD

“Two [CGRP-targeting agents] are approved as acute treatments. One of them is rimegepant. The other is ubrogepant… Rimegepant and ubrogepent had been acute treatment only, taken orally. What they have in common is that they all target CGRP in different ways, and therefore... are specific to what we've learned about the fundamental biology of migraine.”

Rimegepant (Nurtec; Biohaven), a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, was approved for the acute treatment of migraine in February 2020.

 A recent multicenter, phase 2/3, randomized, double-blind, 

 showed that rimegepant is also effective in migraine prevention when taken every other day (QOD) and is well-tolerated in patients with the headache disorder.

 spoke with study co-author Richard B. Lipton, MD, professor and vice chair of neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and director, Montefiore Headache Center, to learn more about the current landscape of migraine treatment.

Lipton discussed monoclonal antibody injections and oral medications that target CGRP receptors that are currently FDA approved. Rimegepant, the medication that his team investigated, and ubrogepant, are oral medications approved for acute treatment of migraine, while only monoclonal antibody injections are currently approved for prevention of migraine.

1. Rimegepant Approved by FDA for the Acute Treatment of Migraine in Adults. News release. Biohaven Pharmaceuticals. February 27, 2020. Accessed January 6, 2021. https://americanheadachesociety.org/news/rimegepant-acute-migraine-treatment/
2. Kroop R, Lipton RB, Kudrow D, et al. Oral rimegepant for preventive treatment of migraine: a phase 2/3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. Published online December 15, 2020. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32544-7

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The director of the Montefiore Headache Center discussed the current landscape of migraine treatments. 

Richard B. Lipton, MD: CGRP Receptor-Targeting in the Prevention of Migraine

"There are lots of new drugs and new devices approved, and evidence-based behavioral methods, but the challenge is in matching the treatment to the patient. Clinical trials tell us what works, but they don't do a very good job of telling us who particular treatments will work in.”

 (Nurtec; Biohaven) was approved for the acute treatment of migraine in February 2020.

Recently, a multicenter, phase 2/3, randomized, 

 (NCT03732638) showed that rimegepant is also effective for preventing migraine when taken every other day (QOD) and is well-tolerated in patients with the headache disorder.

 spoke with study co-author Richard B. Lipton, MD, professor and vice chair of neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and director, Montefiore Headache Center, about these data to learn more about the challenges of treating migraine and the spectrum of migraine that patients may experience.

Lipton discussed how every patient is unique in their migraines, and therefore would benefit from individualized treatment. He lauded the innovation and development of new drugs and devices for treating migraine and stressed that the challenge is in matching the patient to the right treatment.

1. Rimegepant Approved by FDA for the Acute Treatment of Migraine in Adults. News release. Biohaven Pharmaceuticals. February 27, 2020. Accessed January 6, 2021. 

https://americanheadachesociety.org/news/rimegepant-acute-migraine-treatment/


2. Kroop R, Lipton RB, Kudrow D, et al. Oral rimegepant for preventive treatment of migraine: a phase 2/3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. 

. Published online December 15, 2020. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32544-7


The director of the Montefiore Headache Center discussed how different treatments work for different patients with migraine. 

Richard B. Lipton, MD

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