FDA Approves New Migraine Medication: Sumavel
Migraine headaches are a common medical condition in the United States, affecting approximately 12% of the entire population. It is estimated that there are 35-45 million migraine and headaches sufferers in the U.S. An unfortunate fact is that only 50% of all headache and migraine patients are medically treated. Individuals with different types of headaches (or migraines) are either undiagnosed or undertreated. In the 21st century, it is not necessary to suffer needlessly from migraine headache – the number one medical cause of temporary, total disability in the United States.
A new migraine medication has been approved by the FDA for use in treatment of acute migraine attacks. This new medication is called Sumavel DosePro. Sumavel is an injectable form of the well known migraine medication: sumatriptan. Sumatriptan was first released in United States in 1992 as Imitrex injectable and subsequently the tablet form. Imitrex injectable system uses a small needle to administer the medication, sumatriptan. While this was one of the most effective treatments for acute migraine attacks, it did involve a minor needle stick. For patients who did not tolerate the thought of a needle stick, even this excellent therapy was not an option for them. Sumavel overcomes this problem by the use of a unique, needle-free injector system. Sumavel uses pressurized air to administer the medication. This is demonstrated in this video.
Sumavel comes in a self-contained injector kit. There is no need for alcohol swabs or drawing up sumatriptan into a syringe. With Sumavel a migraine patient, experiencing an acute migraine attack, needs only to snap of the safety cap, flip the small injector lever and press the injector firmly against the skin on the lower, outer abdomen or thigh. Pressurized nitrogen (a neutral gas) causes the sumatriptan change into an aerosol form and this is literally pushed through the skin into the subcutaneous tissue. This delivers a full dose of sumatriptan (6 mg) into the patient. Therapeutic effect and migraine relief can occur in as few as ten minutes. When the injector releases the pressurized air, you will hear and feel a pop noise. There is a slight stinging sensation when the medication is pushed across the skin, but there is no needle involved. The used injector can then be disposed of in any trash receptacle. As there is no needle, special disposal is not necessary. Most insurances cover this new, novel migraine therapy.
Migraine headaches remain a major health problem in the United States. Migraines are a leading cause of missed school and work. For migraine sufferers who have too many headache attacks, this can lead to the risk of losing their job. This is unnecessary as many excellent and effective migraine control therapies are available. If you suffer from migraines, cluster headaches or any type of headache, do yourself a favor – call Sarasota Neurology for an appointment. As a migraine specialist, Dr. Kassicieh can help to improve your quality of life, control your migraines and give you your life back.