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According to the latest NICE\u00a0guidance,\u00a0atogepant\u00a0can be\u00a0prescribed\u00a0as\u00a0an option for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults only if, for previous migraine\u00a0attacks,\u00a0at least\u00a0two\u00a0triptans were tried and they did not work well enough\u00a0or were not tolerated\u00a0and\u00a0nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol were tried but did not work well enough.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Whether\u00a0atogepant\u00a0can be prescribed for the acute treatment of migraine in both primary and secondary care settings will be subject to local commissioning through Integrated Care Boards. This means that GPs may be able to prescribe\u00a0atogepant\u00a0as an acute treatment or they may need to refer to a specialist for a patient to gain access, depending on where they are based.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While the availability of\u00a0atogepant\u00a0for acute treatment is\u00a0a positive step forward in improving migraine care, we are also aware of the difficulties that people experience in accessing these much-needed medications. Research for The Migraine Trust\u2019s 2023 report,\u202f<\/span>Heading\u00a0in the Wrong Direction<\/span><\/i>, found that among people who reported themselves to have met the eligibility criteria for\u00a0CGRP\u00a0mAbs,\u00a0only 52% had been offered access to\u00a0this\u00a0treatment. Those unable to access\u00a0it\u00a0reported being told that their GP, neurologist or the local NHS does not prescribe it,\u00a0that there was a lack of funds available to prescribe it,\u00a0or that waiting lists are too long so clinicians were opting not to prescribe.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Alice, who lives with chronic migraine,\u00a0welcomes today\u2019s announcement. She also believes that\u00a0access to medications such as\u00a0atogepant\u00a0at an earlier\u00a0stage would make a considerable difference for people living with migraine.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Alice said:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cI lost years of my life waiting to be taken seriously by medical professionals and waiting to access migraine-specific treatments.\u00a0\u00a0If a wider range of migraine-specific treatments, such as\u00a0atogepant, were available earlier in the patient journey, I believe many people could reach effective treatment sooner, avoid years of unnecessary suffering, reduce their exposure to ineffective medications and side effects, and maintain a better quality of life.\u00a0\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Similarly, Lisa, who has struggled to access migraine treatment, is clear that access to migraine-specific medications as acute treatment options is a step forward:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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