European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

CRITICAL REVIEW OF AIMOVIG (ERENUMAB) FOR MIGRAINE

Nandipalli Vineetha*, Addanki Anusha

ABSTRACT

Migraine is a common neurological disorder associated with recurrent moderate-to-severe headache episodes that considerably affect quality of life and daily activities. Existing preventive therapies are often associated with limited efficacy and poor patient compliance. The identification of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) as a key mediator in migraine pathophysiology has contributed to the development of targeted therapies such as erenumab (Aimovig), a monoclonal antibody that blocks CGRP receptors. This review critically evaluates the research article by Goadsby et al. on the efficacy and safety of erenumab for episodic migraine prevention. The reviewed study was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial involving patients with episodic migraine. Participants received placebo, erenumab 70 mg, or erenumab 140 mg subcutaneously once every four weeks for six months. The study demonstrated significant reductions in monthly migraine days, decreased use of acute migraine medications, and improvement in physical functioning among patients treated with erenumab compared to placebo. The 140 mg dose showed comparatively greater effectiveness. Safety evaluation revealed that adverse events and treatment discontinuation rates were similar across all groups, indicating good tolerability of the drug. The methodological strength of the study, including adequate randomization and blinding, enhanced the reliability of the findings. However, limitations such as short study duration and exclusion of treatment-resistant patients were noted. Overall, erenumab appears to be an effective and safe preventive treatment option for episodic migraine.

Keywords: Migraine, Erenumab, Aimovig, CGRP, Episodic migraine, Monoclonal antibody, Preventive therapy, Clinical trial.