Compounds in Telcagepant exert effects by blocking the alternative peptide receptors of a hormone gene called calcitonin at several sites in the trigeminal nerves and central nervous system. These effects generate the interruption of the metabolic process at the origin of the pain.
The “plus” of this new treatment lies in the fact that it does not cause any contraction of blood vessels, unlike many anti-migraine drugs on the market. The treatment is therefore as suitable for people with migraine who are also affected by cardiovascular diseases as for the general population.
Professor Lars Edvinsson of the University Hospital of Lund (Sweden) and Doctor Mattias Linde of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, co-authors of the article, also report the positive effects on migraine of Topiramate, an antiepileptic used in many countries. According to the authors, the most significant advance in migraine prevention remains the recent introduction of Topiramate. This antiepileptic would be effective against migraine because the two diseases “share several pathogenic mechanisms”.
