Migraine Market Hotting Up In The USA

Zeneca and Glaxo Wellcome are squaring up to go head-to-head in thebattle for the US migraine market. Zeneca has already launched its Zomig (zolmitriptan) in the USA, while GW's Naramig (naratriptan) is rumored to be approaching approval there in the very near future.

Zeneca has the advantage of being the first of the "new-generation" triptans to reach the US market, but still has to build up an effective sales force, while with Naramig, GW can tap into the salesforce already out there promoting Imitrex (sumatriptan) in the USA. Analysts predict, however, that both products will do well as patients will respond differently to each drug, as they have differing and unique properties.

Another strong new contender will be Merck & Co's Maxalt (rizatriptan), which has the advantage of an extremely rapid onset of action, with a significant proportion of patients achieving pain relief within half an hour. Rizatriptan is awaiting registration in the USA. Meanwhile, zolmitriptan has a benign side-effect profile and so will be preferred by those prone to adverse reactions from this class of drug. Naratriptan has been shown in trials to achieve an extremely low rate of headache recurrence, which will be compelling for patients who want to avoid disruption during the working day.