Early Trexima use cuts migraine symptoms

UK-based drug major GlaxoSmithKline has reported that new data from trials of Trexima (sumatriptan succinate/naproxen sodium) demonstrates that it successfully reduces the pain symptoms associated with migraine. Specifically, the results showed that patients who began treatment within one hour of the onset of pain were twice as likely to be pain-free after two hours than individuals who did not initiate early treatment.

The drug, which GSK is developing with the USA's Pozen, combines the leading migraine treatment, sumatriptan, with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, and is designed to address a broad range of symptoms. The study results, which were presented at the 16th Migraine Trust International Symposium in London, are derived from two identical cross-over trials in which patients were randomized to treat a sequence of four migraine attacks, initiating Trexima use at various different stages of the assessment. The data showed that the beneficial effects of early use of the drug, compared with placebo, were sustained for a 24-hour period with 37% and 34% of patients in each Trexima-treated group pain-free at 24 hours, versus only 17% and 12%, respectively, of those in the placebo arms.