[Profile of the antimigraine drug almotriptan].
Triptans are the most relevant advance in the symptomatic treatment of migraine in the last decade. In this paper the basic properties as well as the efficacy and tolerability data of the last launched triptan, almotriptan, are reviewed. Almotriptan exhibits the highest bioavailability among triptans, this absorption being unaffected by sex, the presence of food in the stomach or by a migraine attack. At the recommended dose of 12.5 mg, almotriptan shows a rapid onset of effect, at 30 minutes, with efficacy parameters comparable to those of placebo. The potential advantages of almotriptan seem to be three: recurrence rate in the low range, lack of interactions with other drugs and a placebo-like tolerability profile, with a very low rate of chest symptoms. This balanced profile between efficacy and tolerability makes almotriptan 12.5 mg a good option for the symptomatic treatment of migraine.
Pascual
J
J
Servicio de Neurología. Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla. Santander. Spain.