Oxford Study Identifies Most Effective Migraine Treatments

Triptans outperform newer, costlier drugs, suggesting a shift in migraine management strategies.

A comprehensive review of 137 trials involving nearly 90,000 participants found triptans to be the most effective for acute migraine relief.
Eletriptan, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, and zolmitriptan were highlighted as the top-performing triptans, with eletriptan providing the best pain relief at two hours.
Newer drugs like rimegepant and ubrogepant were found to be no more effective than traditional painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Researchers recommend triptans as the first-line treatment for migraines, especially given their lower cost and higher efficacy compared to newer medications.
The study emphasizes the need to update clinical guidelines to reflect the superior performance of triptans and improve patient care globally.