title: Treatment of migraine attacks with subcutaneous sumatriptan: first placebo-controlled study. The Subcutaneous Sumatriptan International Study Group.
abstract: The results of the very first large-scale placebo-controlled dose-response trial with the novel selective 5-hydroxytryptamine1-like (5HT1-like) receptor agonist sumatriptan are presented. We studied the efficacy and tolerability of subcutaneous injections of 1 mg, 2 mg and 3 mg of sumatriptan in alleviating migraine attacks in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicentre clinical trial. Six-hundred and ninety patients were randomized and 685 received study medication. At 30 min, reduction of headache severity to mild or none (primary efficacy endpoint) was achieved in 22% (95% CI: 15-28%) of placebo-treated patients and in 39% (CI: 31-46%) of patients treated with 1 mg sumatriptan, 44% (CI: 36-51%) treated with 2 mg sumatriptan and 55% (CI: 48-63%) treated with 3 mg sumatriptan. Differences from placebo were 17% (CI: 8-27%) for 1 mg sumatriptan, 22% (CI: 13-32%) for 2 mg sumatriptan and 34% (CI: 24-44%) for 3 mg sumatriptan (p < 0.001 for all three comparisons). Other migraine symptoms were also more effectively treated by sumatriptan than by placebo. Subsequently, an open-label 3 mg dose subcutaneous sumatriptan was given to partial or non-responders. Thirty minutes after this open dose the response rate to sumatriptan had improved to between 70 and 80%. Adverse events after sumatriptan were minor and short-lived. We conclude that subcutaneous sumatriptan is well tolerated in doses up to 3 + 3 mg and may rapidly abort migraine attacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bayliss
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ludlow
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pilgrim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010919:Placebos; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018170:Sumatriptan; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D010919:Placebos; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D013449:Sulfonamides; D018170:Sumatriptan