A Review of Migraine Treatments and the Significance of CGRP Inhibitors

Migraines are not only a common neurological disorder, but also very debilitating. Migraine disorders cause significant financial, social, and mental burdens for patients. Despite its prevalence and impact, very few medications have been developed to treat migraines specifically. Previous treatments used medications prescribed for other conditions, and most of these treatments have low efficacy or tolerability, resulting in high percentages of patients who stop these medications. In recent years, a new class of medication, known as CGRP inhibitors, has been developed specifically for migraine treatment. These medications provide both preventative and acute treatment options with high efficacy and tolerability. Additionally, these medications are available to a wider range of population, unlike other treatments that cannot be used by individuals with preexisting conditions. This paper aims to serve as a review of previous studies on past treatment options and CGRP inhibitors to draw conclusions on the shortcomings of previous treatments and highlight the significance of CGRP inhibitors for migraine treatments. Based on the mental and socioeconomic impact of migraines, one can see that access to effective, tolerable treatment is imperative to improving the lives of those with migraines. Patients should not have to sacrifice other aspects of their health for relief from migraines. This comprehensive comparison gives important background information of migraines and asserts that CGRP inhibitors are the most effective and tolerable migraine treatment.