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| |  Zomig (Zolmitriptan) Provides Quick And Long-lasting Relief From Migraines CHICAGO, IL -- March 1, 2000 -- A new medication for treating migraine headaches appears to provide more rapid and consistent pain relief than the current most widely used medication. In a study conducted by headache researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) - School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, zolmitriptan provided patients with quicker and longer relief than sumatriptan. Dr. R. Michael Gallagher, principal investigator of the nationwide study and director of the University Headache Center at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine, said, "For migraine patients, the most important characteristic of pain medication is that it acts to reduce pain and provide consistent pain relief. This study found significant differences between the two medications in terms of how quickly they worked and the length of pain relief." The results are published in the February issue of "Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain." Zolmitriptan, known commercially as Zomig, is manufactured by AstraZeneca. According to the study, more patients who took a 2.5 milligram dose of zolmitriptan at the onset of a migraine headache received faster and more consistent pain relief after two hours than those who took a 50 milligram dose of sumatriptan. In addition, pain relief was consistent after 24 hours for patients who used zolmitriptan. The randomized, double-blind study involved 1,043 patients at 61 research centers around the country, including the UMDNJ-University Headache Center. A total of 6,187 migraine attacks were treated with either zolmitriptan or sumatriptan. A migraine headache is a chronic medical condition that affects more than 23 million Americans. The attacks are characterized by severe head pain that can last up to 24 hours and are usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to sound and light. Migraine headaches occur most frequently in people between 25 and 55, and predominantly in women. A frequent speaker at international headache conferences, Dr. Gallagher is the principal author and editor of the medical textbook "Drug Treatment for Headaches," the first textbook solely dedicated to the pharmacological treatment of headaches. The UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine is one of three medical schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. UMDNJ comprises New Jersey's only medical schools, the state's only dental school, a nursing school, a school of public health, a graduate school of biomedical sciences and a school of health related professions on campuses in Newark, Piscataway/New Brunswick, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ also operates University Hospital, Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare. It is affiliated with more than 200 health care and educational institutions throughout the state. Related Links: zolmitriptan (Zomig), sumatriptan (Imitrex) and AstraZeneca.
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