Will anti-CGRP antibodies achieve the same success with cluster headache patients as with migraine?
Calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP) is involved in triggering migraine headaches and has been found in patients who are having cluster headaches. To test whether CGRP can induce cluster headaches, investigators enrolled 32 patients in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, industry-funded study over a 2-year period and divided participants into three groups.
In group A (episodic cluster headache in active phase), 8 out of 9 patients had a CGRP-induced cluster attack, significantly more than the 1 out of 9 after placebo infusion. In group B (episodic cluster headache in remission), none of the 9 patients reported cluster attacks after either CGRP or placebo infusion. In group C (chronic cluster headaches), 7 out of 14 patients rep…