Almotriptan is a
serotonin (
5-hydroxytryptamine)(1B/1D) receptor agonist (
triptan) that has shown consistent efficacy in the acute treatment of
migraine with excellent tolerability. It is an effective, well-tolerated and cost-effective
triptan, as demonstrated by improvement in rigorous, patient-orientated end points, such as 'sustained
pain-free without adverse events'. Results from post hoc analyses, observational studies and well-controlled, prospective clinical trials have shown that significant improvements can be achieved if
almotriptan 12.5 mg is administered within an hour of
migraine onset, particularly when
pain is mild, rather than waiting until
pain is moderate-to-severe. Benefits were also achieved with early treatment of moderate-to-severe
pain.
Time-to-treatment was the best predictor of
headache duration, whereas initial
headache intensity best predicted most other efficacy outcomes. Early administration of
almotriptan 12.5 mg not only produced rapid symptomatic relief, it also improved the patient's quality of life and ability to resume normal daily functioning. Furthermore, the efficacy of
almotriptan is not significantly affected by
allodynia (purported to reduce the efficacy of
triptans). Thus, the excellent efficacy and tolerability profile of
almotriptan administered early in a
migraine attack indicate that it may be a first-line treatment option in this common, underdiagnosed and undertreated disorder.