A comparative study classifies Almogran as one of the best choices for the treatment of migraines.
In its November* issue of this year, the eminent journal The Lancet has published the final results of a comparative study on triptans showing the efficacy and high tolerability of almotriptan (sold in Spain under the name of Almogran), which is shown to be one of the best molecules for treating migraine crises.
This journal publishes the meta-analysis carried out by three opinion leaders in the field of migraines that has examined seven triptans, five of which are sold in Spain.**
These results confirm those previously presented by researchers in Copenhagen and Barcelona in 2000 and in New York this year. The data indicate that almotriptan is one of the best treatments for migraines, particularly in terms of "sustained pain free". This variable measures the percentage of patients who, with just one tablet of the medicine, completely abort their migraine crisis within the first two hours and do not have to take another type of medication. For the authors of the study, "this represents the ideal and most difficult efficacy variable to achieve".
Study data
The authors of the meta-analysis, Dr Ferrari, Dr Lipton and Dr Goadsby, used data from 53 clinical trials, of which twelve are still unpublished, in order to carry out this research project in which more than 24,000 patients took part.
In order to perform the comparative study, a 100 mg dose of sumatriptan was taken as the reference since it was the first triptan to be marketed.
One of the most representative variables considered in the evaluation of these molecules is that of "sustained pain free". This parameter is defined by three factors: the absence of pain two hours after taking the drug, non-recurrence (that is, the pain does not return within 2 hours after taking the drug and up to 24 hours later) and not having to take additional medication between 2 and 24 hours after taking the drug. In this variable, which the authors recommend because it "represents the ideal efficacy variable," almotriptan achieves the best results of all the triptans.
Other parameters have also been taken into account to evaluate these molecules, such as the consistency of response (that is, if efficacy is repeated in subsequent crises) and tolerability, an aspect in which almotriptan clearly stands out against the others, particularly in adverse neurological and thoracic effects.
Almogran, one of the latest molecules to join the triptan family
The triptan family, selective agonists of the serotonin 5-HT1B/1D receptors, represents the most significant advance in the abortive treatment of migraine crises.
Almotriptan is one of the latest triptans to join this family and one that presents an excellent efficacy and tolerability profile, as shown in this meta-analysis. In Spain this drug, sold under the name of Almogran, received authorisation from the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs in September 2000, and the European Drug Agency granted authorisation for its simultaneous marketing in 16 other European countries through the Mutual Recognition procedure.
Furthermore, the maximum health authority in the United States, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved almotriptan (Almogran) for marketing in the United States. This is the first time in the history of the Spanish pharmaceutical industry that a Spanish research and development chemical entity has received such a licence, which means that almotriptan can be prescribed for North Americans suffering from migraines, with or without aura.
In November this year, almotriptan received the Galien Prize for the best drug of 2000.
Almirall Prodesfarma
The main aim of Almirall Prodesfarma, the first Spanish multinational pharmaceutical company, is to provide society with innovative drugs to combat discomfort and disease, thus helping to improve quality of life. To this end, it constantly devotes the maximum human and financial resources to researching new products.
The company's main research fields fall within the areas related to the treatment of asthma, allergies, dermatitis, arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and migraine.
It has a staff of 2,500 people of whom over 300 work in R&D activities in its two research centres. The annual R&D investment reached up to 42 million euros (7.050 million pesetas). For the current year this entry is expected to rise to more than 60 million euros (10.000 million pesetas). Its overall forecast in this area for the coming five years is 350 million euros (60.000 million pesetas).
It also has five manufacturing plants in the Barcelona area as well as branches in Spain's main cities and subsidiaries in Europe and Latin America.
* For more information, the meta-analysis is published in The Lancet, Vol. 358, 17 November 2001. ** The triptans included in this study are almotriptan (Almogran), zolmitriptan (Zomig), naratriptan (Naramig), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imigran), eletriptan and frovatriptan (the last two are not sold in Spain).