{"id":46627,"date":"2021-11-16T09:30:11","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T14:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=46627"},"modified":"2026-09-28T14:29:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T18:29:16","slug":"new-migraine-medications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/new-migraine-medications\/","title":{"rendered":"Your guide to the newest migraine medications"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite its reputation as just a bad headache, a\u00a0migraine is actually an intense neurological event<\/a> that causes more symptoms than head pain. From nausea and vomiting to light sensitivity and fatigue, a migraine can be a completely debilitating illness for those who experience them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Migraine Research Foundation estimates that about 39 million people in the U.S. experience migraine<\/a>, including men, women, and children. That\u2019s 12% of the population!<\/p>\n

Considering that a migraine can start several hours or days before it reaches its peak and cause post-headache symptoms<\/a>, it\u2019s no wonder that researchers have been developing more drugs aimed at migraine prevention and relief, such as Ubrelvy, Nurtec, and Emgality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why are new migraine medications hitting the market?<\/h2>\n

Up until the past few years, many migraine drugs available to patients were developed to assist with other health conditions like high blood pressure, depression, and epilepsy. Healthcare providers learned through prescribing some of those drugs to their patients that they also reduced migraine activity\u2014but it was a discovery of chance, not design.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not the case with the new generation of migraine drugs. \u201cWith these newer drugs, we have a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of migraines, like how and why they yield symptoms, and these meds are a direct reflection of what the researchers have come to understand about how migraine happens,\u201d says Ilan Danan<\/a>, MD, MSc, a sports neurologist and pain management specialist at the Center for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The prescription drugs in this new generation of migraine medications fall into two main categories: CGRP antagonists or ditans.<\/p>\n

What are CGRP antagonists?<\/h2>\n

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a\u00a0protein released from certain nerve endings around the head and brain<\/a>; it can cause enlargement of the blood vessels there, triggering inflammation and pain. This inflammatory response is what causes the typical symptoms many migraineurs experience during an attack.<\/p>\n

CGRP antagonists, also known as anti-CGRP drugs, can prevent migraine by interfering with the release of this protein. \u201cThese drugs work in one of two ways: by binding to CGRP directly and preventing it from binding to pain receptors, or by blocking CGRP at the receptor itself, stopping the mechanism of action that triggers the series of events leading to migraine,\u201d Dr. Danan explains.<\/p>\n

Basically, if you can stop CGRP from binding to pain receptors in any way, you can slow down that process and prevent the rollercoaster of migraine symptoms from happening. CGRP antagonists are designed to do exactly that. Anti-CGRP drugs are available in four forms:<\/p>\n