New drug trials suggest that Pfizer’s drug Relpax (eletriptan) may be one of the most effective drugs for the treatment of migraine headaches. Researchers at Memorial University in St. John’s Newfoundland, conducted a randomized trial in 774 patients using 40 mg and 80 mg doses of eletriptan compared to 50 and 100 mg doses of the drug sumatriptan. It was found that 67 percent of the eletriptan 80 mg patients and 64 percent of the eletriptan 40 mg patients were pain-free two hours after dosing, compared to 53 percent of the patients who received sumatriptan 100 mg and 50 percent of those who received 50 mg. Two hours after dosing, 65 percent of patients in the eletriptan 80 mg group were able to resume at least some normal activities, compared to just 51 percent of patients in the 100 mg sumatriptan group. Results of the trials were presented by Dr. William Pryse-Phillips, neurologist and director of the migraine clinic at Memorial University, at the 9th Congress of the International Headache Society meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
Jennifer is a clinical pharmacologist. She helps doctors of all medical specialties choose medications. Jennifer consults about drug dosage, interactions, and side effects.