A drug already on the market for $35 might help millions of Americans currently suffering with migraines to stop the attacks before they begin. Sold under the brand name Ubrelvy, the drug has helped 65% of participants in a recent study to stop the debilitating pain associated with migraines so they could go about their day as usual. Earlier studies have shown that the drug can help people already sickened by an attack, but this is the first study to conclude that the drug can work before the pain begins. It takes a 50mg or 100mg pill around an hour and a half to set in. Researchers say this could be a game changer for roughly 39 million Americans who suffer with migraines. When a migraine headache sets in, most people can’t move, look at light, or tolerate sounds without intense pain, nausea and/or vomiting. The new drug works by mimicking a molecule in the brain that triggers migraine pain. When in the body, these molecules sit on pain receptors and stop them from being activated by bodily signals that trigger migraines. Ubrelvy has been approved by the FDA, and patients are recommended to take it as soon as they feel the pain beginning to set in. The cost without insurance is around $1,000 for 10 tablets, which should be about a 30-day supply, but can be as low as $0 through insurance or an offer through AbbVie, the drug’s manufacturer. The average insurance co-pay is $35.
