Randomised trial, 2016
Does telcagepant prevent migraines during the menstrual period?
Telcagepant did not reduce overall monthly migraine days. However, it did reduce headaches on the days it was taken around the period. It was generally safe.
What they did
Women with migraine and perimenstrual headaches took either telcagepant 140 mg or placebo for 7 consecutive days around their period over a 6-month trial. Women needed to have at least 5 moderate or severe migraines per month before starting.
What they found
In 887 women studied, telcagepant did not significantly reduce mean monthly headache days (treatment difference minus 0.5 day). However, telcagepant did reduce perimenstrual headache days on the days the drug was taken (treatment difference minus 0.4 day). It was well tolerated with 2.5% discontinuing due to adverse events.
What it means for you
Telcagepant works when taken but does not change the overall number of migraines per month. Liver enzyme elevations occurred in 0.6% on telcagepant versus 0.4% on placebo. This is a large, well-designed study, but the main goal of reducing monthly migraines was not achieved.
887
Women in efficacy subset
-0.5 day
Monthly headache reduction with telcagepant
6 months
Study duration
About the study
- Original title
- Randomized controlled trial of the CGRP receptor antagonist telcagepant for prevention of headache in women with perimenstrual migraine
- Authors
- Ho TW, Ho AP, Ge YJ et al.
- Journal
- Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache
- Year
- 2016
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 887
- What was tested
- Telcagepant 140 mg or placebo taken for 7 consecutive days around the menstrual period
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/0333102415584308
Topics
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