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Vydura is the brand name for the medication Rimegepant. The medication is a new treatment used as an on-going treatment or preventative treatment for migraines with or without aura.
Vydura is one of several migraine treatments available in the UK and is often prescribed after first-line treatments such as simple analgesics or triptans have have failed.
Vydura is available as an Oral Lyophilisate (a thin wafer that dissolves on the tongue.)
Price range: £38.99 through £274.99
Vydura is a migraine medication, normally used to treat ongoing migraines or as a preventative measure for migraines. It is used in the acute treatment of migraine in adults who may or may not have an aura with their migraine. Migraines with aura tend to be common in one-third of the population therefore it is useful to have a drug that can treat both forms of the migraine.
It is also used for preventative measures to limit or reduce the onset of the more common episodic migraines. It has been approved for use in many countries including the Unites States (USA) and in the European Union (EU).
The active ingredient in Vydura is Rimegepant. It is a small molecule Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist and comes in a unique formulation as an orally disintegrating tablet (ODT). This is a convenient way of taking the medication and shown to improve patient response time to the medication.
Vydura is used to treat acute and chronic headaches known as migraines. This can cause painful throbbing in the head normally generalised on one side. Symptoms range from intense pain especially behind the eyes and around the temples, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, tiredness, changes in mood and so on.
Some patients experience migraines with aura and some without. Over one-third of the population experience migraines with an aura. Migraines with aura can cause visual disturbances, dizziness, feeling of pins and needles all over the body which can signal the onset of a migraine attack. Vydura can be used to treat both forms of migraines.
Vydura has been approved as an appropriate migraine medication to treat both chronic and episodic migraines. However, it is currently being used as a preventive medication for only episodic migraines. These are considered regular migraine episodes but occur fewer than 15 days per month. Chronic migraines, however, tend to be more severe and persistent and occur more than 15 days in a month consistently, for over 3 months.
Vydura is used to treat acute and chronic headaches known as migraines. This can cause painful throbbing in the head normally generalised on one side. Symptoms range from intense pain especially behind the eyes and around the temples, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, tiredness, changes in mood and so on.
Some patients experience migraines with aura and some without. Over one-third of the population experience migraines with an aura. Migraines with aura can cause visual disturbances, dizziness, feeling of pins and needles all over the body which can signal the onset of a migraine attack. Vydura can be used to treat both forms of migraines.
Vydura has been approved as an appropriate migraine medication to treat both chronic and episodic migraines. However, it is currently being used as a preventive medication for only episodic migraines. These are considered regular migraine episodes but occur fewer than 15 days per month. Chronic migraines, however, tend to be more severe and persistent and occur more than 15 days in a month consistently, for over 3 months.
A study done by Croop et al., Lancet 2019 showed several key findings about the effectiveness of Rimegepant (Vydura). 1811 participants were involved in the study, of which 1375 received treatment using Rimegepant or placebo in a randomised, phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
2 hours post-dose | Rimegepant | Placebo |
Reduction in pain | 21% | 11% |
Reduction in most troublesome symptoms | 35% | 27%
|
Furthermore, patients were able to tolerate the effects of Rimegepant like the placebo hence no safety concerns were raised due to adverse effects. Lastly, the effects of pain relief whilst on Rimegepant was sustained over 48 hours post-dose.
Similarly, another phase 2/3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial by Croop et al., Lancet 2020 found a mean reduction in migraine days with participants on Rimegepant compared to the placebo (4.3 days vs 3.5 days, respectively)
Calcitonin gene related peptides (CGRP) are proteins which are released during migraine attacks. This causes inflammation and involves several pathophysiological processes which lead to the perception of intense pain involved in a migraine attack. Patients with migraines tend to have increased levels of CGRP in their body.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were commonly used to treat migraines. However, since they were not specific enough, there was no quick relief from the pain. Therefore, a class of medications called Triptans was developed and considered the gold-standard for treating migraines.
However, these do not work for one-third of patients and are known to be contraindicated (risk factor) in patients with cardiovascular diseases. This is because triptans narrow blood vessels and reduce blood flow which can worsen cardiovascular issues over time. Rimegepant UK (Vydura) however, does not do this.
Vydura is a small molecule Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist from a class of drugs known as GEPANTS. Vydura binds very strongly to the CGRP receptors and blocks their activity hence transmission of pain signals is not possible.
This helps to effectively stop a migraine or decrease the occurrence of migraines when taken as preventative measure. This, therefore, reduces the perception of pain and helps to make the condition more manageable. Furthermore, it is useful in patients who tend to get ‘overuse headaches’ from triptans due to taking excessive triptans and or painkillers to treat their migraines.
Vydura 75mg is a prescription only medication (POM) therefore it cannot be bought over the counter (OTC). It is available on the National Health Service (NHS), however, the prescription for Vydrura is based on a few conditions as stated below:
Patients who are not eligible for Rimegepant but are already taking the medication are advised to continue with the medication and discuss further treatment options with their care-providers.
Vydura is normally well-tolerated and contains very few side-effects. Common side effects include:
In the case of an allergic reaction such as rashes or shortness of breath, patients are advised to stop VYDURA UK and contact their local emergency services as soon as possible. This is an uncommon side effect affecting around 1 in 100 people and can occur many days after taking the medication.
You should not take VYDURA:
Proceed with caution before taking VYDURA if any of the following applies to you:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant (or thinking of pregnancy) or breast-feeding, please consult with your doctor before taking this medication as the effects of VYDURA on pregnant and or breastfeeding women are not yet known.
Other medications and VYDURA Migraine Medication
Please avoid taking VYDURA with the following medications:
Migraines can be treated in many ways as shown below:
Vydura is available on prescription on the NHS or can be accessed privately using private providers such as Meds for Less.