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----------------------------------------------------------------------- FDA approves new migraine pill ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON (November 26, 1997 5:53 p.m. EST http://www.nando.net) -- The Food and Drug Administration approved a new option for migraine sufferers Wednesday, a pill called Zomig that promises most users some relief from the pounding within two hours. The most popular therapy for the migraines suffered by some 23 million Americans is a drug called Imitrex. But it doesn't work for everyone. Zomig, known chemically as zolmitriptan, was developed to be the next generation of this family of drugs. Doctors hope it will be absorbed better than Imitrex, and offer another option to people not helped by other medications, said Dr. Alan Rapoport of the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Conn. But like Imitrex, Zomig works by helping to shrink the dilated blood vessels that cause migraines. In studies, 66 percent of migraine sufferers who tried 2.5 milligrams of Zomig experienced some relief within two hours, a standard time for migraine drugs to penetrate, said manufacturer Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. Twenty-five percent of Zomig users were completely pain-free within two hours, and 42 percent were within four hours. Side effects were mostly mild, including dizziness and drowsiness. But Zomig should never be taken by patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease. The FDA approved Zomig for use only by adults. Zeneca now is studying the drug's safety and effectiveness in children. Zeneca said the pills would be on drugstore shelves in January, with a wholesale price of $78 a pack. Copyright 1997 Nando.net Copyright 1997 The Associated Press <http://www.nando.net/newsroom/ntn/health/112697/health1_29797_noframes.html> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- janet [log in to unmask]