New FDA-approved nasal spray to treat migraine headaches hits shelves in July
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Do you suffer from migraines? If you do, help is soon on the way.
A new nasal spray has been introduced to quickly treat migraines, and it just got approval from the FDA.
The nasal spray, known as Zavzpret, may relieve pain and other bothersome migraine symptoms without 15 minutes, according to drugmaker Pfizer.
In two studies where people with migraines didn't know if they were getting the drug or a placebo, Zavzpret was more effective at relieving migraine pain without two hours compared to a nasal spray without its active ingredients.
This drug is proving to be better for people with heart disease or other conditions that prevent them from being able to safely use other kinds of migraine treatments.
"It is a powerful drug, and when you look at the data, it really stands out in terms of the efficacy and the safety profile," said Dr. Emad Estemalik of the Cleveland Clinic. "The nasal nostrils have a lot of blood vessels, so it gets absorbed very quickly, again unlike an oral medication so within minutes, according to the trial, 10 or 15 minutes you will notice a pain relief."
The main side effect reported with this new drug is an altered sense of taste, which affected about 1 in 5 people. Other side effects were nasal discomfort and nausea.
All im all though, these side effects seem to pale in comparison to the throbbing pain of a migraine.
Pfizer says the drug is expected to be available in pharmacies as soon as early July.
