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| |  AHS: Early Treatment With Imitrex (Sumatriptan Succinate) May Maximize Therapy MONTREAL, QC -- June 26, 2000 -- Clinical research demonstrating that treatment with Imitrex® (sumatriptan succinate) 50 mg Tablets relieved pain for a spectrum of headaches in migraineurs won the Harold G. Wolff Award at the 42nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society (AHS) in Montreal. The award honoring the best original paper on headache and pain was received by a research team lead by Richard B. Lipton, M.D., of Innovative Medical Research, a clinical trials and outcomes research division of Advance Paradigm. Dr. Lipton is also Professor of Neurology, Epidemiology and Social Medicine, at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In the first study of its kind, the pain relief with Imitrex versus placebo was evaluated in patients with disabling migraine, who also had migrainous (migraine-like) and tension-type headache, according to the International Headache Society's (IHS) criteria. Imitrex relieved pain better than placebo in all three headache types. Further research needs to be done to confirm these preliminary results and to determine the efficacy and safety of Imitrex in treating migrainous or tension-type headaches. Imitrex is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura, in adults. It should only be used where a clear diagnosis of migraine has been established. Imitrex is not indicated for tension-type or migrainous headache. Data from the study presented at the AHS meeting also examined results for 66 headaches in which patients treated with Imitrex early in the attack, when pain was mild. They experienced freedom from pain (pain free as opposed to mere reduction of pain) in 84 percent of attacks at four hours -- compared to 18 percent treated with placebo. At two hours, 49 percent of these headaches were pain free compared with 9 percent in the placebo group. Imitrex has been shown to be effective when taken any time during a migraine. However, early treatment, while pain was mild, was more effective within the same individuals than the usual strategy of waiting until pain was moderate or severe. "The data show that in patients who regularly experience disabling migraine, sumatriptan relieved headache pain better than placebo, whether the headaches were migraine, migrainous or tension-type headaches," said Dr. Lipton. "This suggests that similar brain mechanisms underlie all three headache types in people with migraine. Although many migraine sufferers wait until the pain is moderate or severe before they take their medicine, the data also suggest that early treatment may produce more complete pain relief." Imitrex is contraindicated in patients with history, symptoms or signs of ischemic cardiac, cerebrovascular or peripheral vascular syndromes. In addition, patients with other significant underlying cardiovascular diseases should not receive Imitrex. Ischemic cardiac syndromes include, but are not limited to, angina pectoris of any type, all forms of myocardial infarction and silent myocardial ischemia. Cerebrovascular syndromes and peripheral vascular disease include but are not limited to strokes, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or ischemic bowel disease. Patients with risk factors for heart disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, strong family history of heart disease, postmenopausal or male over 40) should be evaluated by a physician to determine if Imitrex is appropriate therapy. Imitrex is contraindicated in patients with uncontrolled hypertension because it may increase blood pressure. Related Link: Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate).
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