Migraine is a leading cause of morbidity and disability worldwide. Triptans were the first migraine-specific drug class developed and have proven efficacy in treatment of this neurological disease. They are however contraindicated in patients with cardiovascular disease and possibly others, owning to their vasoconstrictive properties. This review will focus on lasmiditan, which has been called the first 'ditan' and 'neurally acting anti-migraine agent', designed to selectively agonize the serotonin 5-HT1F receptor subtype, providing anti-migraine effects without concomitant vasoconstriction. To date, lasmiditan has proven safe and effective for the acute treatment of migraine in two Phase II and four Phase III trials. Post hoc analysis revealed that the majority of treatment-emergent adverse events were CNS-related, mild-to-moderate in severity and self-limiting. The US FDA label recommends that patients not drive or operate machinery until at least 8 h after taking each dose of lasmiditan.
Keywords: 5-HT1F; 5-HT1F receptor; REYVOW™; lasmiditan; migraine treatment; new migraine treatment.
Lay abstract Migraine is a leading cause of pain and disability worldwide. Triptans (e.g., sumatriptan) were the first migraine-specific drug class developed and have proven to be effective treatments. Triptans are however contraindicated in patients with heart disease and possibly in some subsets of migraine, due to vasoconstriction concerns. This review will focus on lasmiditan, the first 5-HT1F receptor agonist or ‘ditan’. It does not carry vasoconstrictive concerns and is safe to use in patients who cannot take triptans. To date, lasmiditan has proven safe and effective for the acute treatment of migraine in multiple medical studies. Data from these studies indicates that the most common adverse effects from lasmiditan were dizziness, tingling and sleepiness. These symptoms were generally mild-to-moderate in severity and self-limiting. The US FDA label recommends that patients not drive or operate machinery until at least 8 h after taking each dose of lasmiditan.