Nurtec received FDA marketing approval in February 2020 for treatment of acute migraine headache. Nurtec is available as an orally disintegrating tablet that dissolves within seconds after being placed on or under the tongue. It works on the CGRP pathway thought central to migraine attacks.
Only one dose is allowed for any given migraine headache. According to the company successful treatment equates with complete resolution of pain within 2 hours after Nurtec. The drug achieved this in slightly more than 1 in 5 people treated compared to 1 in 11 receiving an inactive placebo. Pain relapse in the 2-48 hour period after Nurtec occurred with the same frequency in the treatment group as in those receiving placebo.
Interestingly in a preliminary study in 2014, the drug failed to demonstrate any advantages in achieving pain relief at 2 hours when compared to sumitriptan - the generic form of Imitrex. Although not meant as a comparative study, the results may hint at why no formal investigations of Nurtec against standard therapies exist.
Surprisingly most of the authors of the Nurtec studies published in medical journals were employed as principal officers of the drug company. The company also sponsored the trials, reviewed the design, collated the data and analyzed the results. Even the writers of these reports were funded by the company.