Almotriptan
Encyclopedia
Almotriptan
is a triptan
drug discovered and developed by Almirall for the treatment of heavy migraine headache.
It is available in 12.5 mg in most countries and also 6.25 mg in US and Canada.
.
Almotriptan is the only oral triptan approved in the USA for the treatment of migraine in adolescent from 12 to 17 years of age.
drug interactions and is metabolized through different pathways, requiring no dosage adjustment in patients with non-severe renal or hepatic impairment. There are also no clinically relevant differences between men and women or between the young and the elderly.
, vomiting
, photophobia
(light hypersensitivity) and phonophobia (sound hypersensitivity) associated with migraine attacks pain. In the recent Act When Mild study, it was proven that taking almotriptan at the first sign of a migraine attack, while pain is still mild, provides optimal outcomes to ensure patients’ suffering is minimised. (see references)
As with other 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonists, almotriptan should not be used in patients with a history, symptoms or signs of ischaemic heart disease
(myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, documented silent ischaemia, Prinzmetal’s angina) or severe hypertension
and uncontrolled mild or moderate hypertension.
Patients with a previous cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Peripheral vascular disease.
Concomitant administration with ergotamine, ergotamine derivatives (including methysergide) and other 5-HT1B/1D agonists is contraindicated.
Patients with severe hepatic impairment.
when used following the Summary of Product Characteristics
instructions (see references).
"For rare adverse events, please refer to the manufacturer´s webpage"
is a triptan
Triptan
Triptans are a family of tryptamine-based drugs used as abortive medication in the treatment of migraines and cluster headaches. They were first introduced in the 1990s...
drug discovered and developed by Almirall for the treatment of heavy migraine headache.
It is available in 12.5 mg in most countries and also 6.25 mg in US and Canada.
Indications
Almotriptan is prescribed to treat the acute headache phase of migraine attacks with or without auraAura (symptom)
An aura is a perceptual disturbance experienced by some migraine sufferers before a migraine headache, and the telltale sensation experienced by some people with epilepsy before a seizure. It often manifests as the perception of a strange light, an unpleasant smell or confusing thoughts or...
.
Almotriptan is the only oral triptan approved in the USA for the treatment of migraine in adolescent from 12 to 17 years of age.
Mechanism of action
Almotriptan is a selective and potent serotonin 5-HT1B/1D agonist. Because of the particular distribution of the 5-HT1B/1D receptors, almotriptan basically constricts the human meningeal arteries; therefore it has a limited effect on arteries supplying blood to the brain, and little effect on cardiac and pulmonary vessels.Pharmacokinetics
Almotriptan has no clinically relevant pharmacokineticPharmacokinetics
Pharmacokinetics, sometimes abbreviated as PK, is a branch of pharmacology dedicated to the determination of the fate of substances administered externally to a living organism...
drug interactions and is metabolized through different pathways, requiring no dosage adjustment in patients with non-severe renal or hepatic impairment. There are also no clinically relevant differences between men and women or between the young and the elderly.
Efficacy
The efficacy of almotriptan in the acute treatment of migraine attacks was established in clinical trials involving more than 3000 patients who were administered 12.5 mg and it was found to have a fast onset of action and high efficacy to reach pain free status (see references). Almotriptan relieves nauseaNausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
, vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
, photophobia
Photophobia
Photophobia is a symptom of abnormal intolerance to visual perception of light. As a medical symptom photophobia is not a morbid fear or phobia, but an experience of discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure or by presence of actual physical photosensitivity of the eyes, though the term...
(light hypersensitivity) and phonophobia (sound hypersensitivity) associated with migraine attacks pain. In the recent Act When Mild study, it was proven that taking almotriptan at the first sign of a migraine attack, while pain is still mild, provides optimal outcomes to ensure patients’ suffering is minimised. (see references)
Contraindications
(see SmPC) Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.As with other 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonists, almotriptan should not be used in patients with a history, symptoms or signs of ischaemic heart disease
Ischaemic heart disease
Ischaemic or ischemic heart disease , or myocardial ischaemia, is a disease characterized by ischaemia of the heart muscle, usually due to coronary artery disease...
(myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, documented silent ischaemia, Prinzmetal’s angina) or severe hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
and uncontrolled mild or moderate hypertension.
Patients with a previous cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Peripheral vascular disease.
Concomitant administration with ergotamine, ergotamine derivatives (including methysergide) and other 5-HT1B/1D agonists is contraindicated.
Patients with severe hepatic impairment.
Side effects
(see SmPC) Almotriptan has proved to have an adverse effects profile similar to placeboPlacebo
A placebo is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient...
when used following the Summary of Product Characteristics
Summary of Product Characteristics
The Summary of Product Characteristics is a specific document required within the European Commission before any medicinal product is authorized for marketing. This summary is the definitive description of the product both in terms of its properties, chemical, pharmacological and pharmaceutical...
instructions (see references).
"For rare adverse events, please refer to the manufacturer´s webpage"