A medicine for severe migraine attacks has been developed in Russia.

Scientists have created a new molecule with an antiserotonin mechanism of action, targeting the 5-HT2A receptor – one of the key elements in the development of a migraine attack.

This is a fundamentally new drug, which has no analogues.

“Unlike existing drugs, for example, the group of triptans, the effectiveness of which is observed in no more than 65-75% of patients with migraine, the new development can expand the possibilities of therapy and significantly increase the proportion of patients who receive relief,” noted Dmitry Yakovlev, one of the developers.

As Mr. Yakovlev noted, it is the blood–thinning property of the drug that can reduce the likelihood of complications of a migraine attack, the most serious of which is stroke. He also believes that the drug may be promising not only for the relief of seizures, but also for the prevention of their occurrence in the chronic form of the disease, however, this requires additional confirmation in clinical trials.

According to Yakovlev, work on the drug has been carried out for more than 10 years with the participation of scientists from the Southern Federal University and Volgograd State Medical University. At the moment, the drug has passed a full cycle of preclinical trials and has shown a favorable ratio of efficacy and safety. That is, we can say that in the therapeutic doses in which it works and shows its effects, it is practically free from side effects, the scientist noted.

“The next stage will be clinical trials involving patients. Investments and partners from the pharmaceutical industry are needed to carry them out,” says the professor.