‘Lifechanging’ migraine pill which slashes attacks by half set to be available in months

Millions of migraine sufferers could soon benefit from a new drug which has been found to reduce attacks by half.

Taken as a daily pill, trials of atogepant revealed it cut migraines from an average of eight to four a month – double the success of current tablets.

The drug has been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and experts predict it will soon be available to patients, pending a green light from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Taken as a daily pill, trials of atogepant revealed it cut migraines from an average of eight to four a month – double the success of current tablets

Known as a CGRP inhibitor, it works by blocking the effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide – a protein known to trigger migraines.

Made by US company AbbVie, it is thought to cost around £8,000 annually

Professor Peter Goadsby, of King’s College Hospital who led the discovery of CGRP in the 1980s, said it could be ‘life-changing’ for sufferers.