Prof. Piero Barbanti
Rome, 7 November 2024 – Stop checking efficacy after 3 months and stop the obligation to stop treatment with anti-CGRP drugs for the treatment of migraines after 12 months.
AIFA changes the rules of engagement in the preventive treatment of migraine based on data from the Italian Migraine Registry coordinated by prof. Piero Barbanti, Director of the Headache and Pain Treatment and Research Unit of the IRCCS San Raffaele and Professor of Neurology at the San Raffaele Telematic University of Rome.
“It is a historic objective achieved after the publication of prestigious studies led by our research group on Neurology [1] and up Journal of Neurology [1,2] – explains the neurologist – we have shown that by continuing therapy for at least 12 months, the percentage of patients who respond to treatment jumps from 65% (after 3 months) to 91.3% (after 12 months). Furthermore, the Registry has shown that by prolonging treatment for at least 2 years, an attenuation of the course of the disease is probably achieved. Thanks to the 50 headache centers in the register and thanks to AIC (Italian Association for the fight against Headaches), ANIRCEF (Italian Neurological Association for Headache Research) and ONDA (National Observatory on Women’s Health) who made AIFA aware of these data since last year.”
What will the consequences be for patients? “Nothing will be as before” concludes Barbanti “treating patients early and for an adequate period will mean changing their illness and their life, reducing the intake of analgesics, disability and the carrying out of unnecessary tests. Greater health and vitality, therefore, and great savings for the national health service.”
[1] Barbanti P, Aurilia C, Egeo et al.
Late response (>12 weeks) to anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies in migraine: a multicenter, prospective, observational study. Neurology. 2023 Apr 18:10.1212/WNL.0000000000207292. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207292
[2] Barbanti P, Aurilia C, Egeo G, et al.
Ultra-late response (>24 weeks) to anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies in migraine: a multicenter, prospective, observational study
J Neurol. 2024 Jan 17. doi: 10.1007/s00415-023-12103-4
[3] Barbanti P, Aurilia C, Egeo G, et al.
Impact of multiple treatment cycles with anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies on migraine course: focus on discontinuation periods. Insights from the multicenter, prospective, IGRAINE study.
J Neurol. 2024 Feb 12. doi: 10.1007/s00415-024-12192-9.
