New NHS drug will help thousands with migraines

As reported by The Independent, thousands of people who suffer from migraines could benefit from a drug that has been approved on the NHS

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said it was recommending eptinezumab (also called Vyepti) for preventing migraine in around 164,000 adults where at least three previous preventive treatments have failed.

The drug is taken in hospital every 12 weeks as an intravenous infusion and works to stave off migraines.

NICE said medical opinion suggests eptinezumab would be reserved for people with severe migraine attacks or who may be unable to take other jabs at home.

Eptinezumab costs around £5,870 for a year’s treatment, though the pharmaceutical firm Lundbeck has agreed to provide it to the NHS at a discounted price.

Rob Music, chief executive at the Migraine Trust, said: “While it is great news that there is another treatment option for people living with this painful, debilitating and exhausting brain disease, it’s crucial that those who are eligible can actually access it.

“As we start 2023, we hope that integrated care systems will do more to ensure that there is greater access to this potentially life changing treatment.”