Allergan's shares head higher after US FDA approves Botox to treat chronic migraine

The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Allergan’s (NYSE: AGN) Botox injection (onabotulinumtoxinA), better known as an anti-wrinkle product, to prevent headaches in adult patients with chronic migraine. Reacting to the news, Allergan’s stock rose 6.6% to $73.40 at 6:42pm in extended New York trading.

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – the first to do so - cleared the use of Botox for migraine earlier this year, but with the proviso that it only be used for patients who suffer headaches for at least 15 days a month, half of which must be attributable to a migraine (The Pharma Letter July 12).

“Chronic migraine is one of the most disabling forms of headache,” said Russell Katz, director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Patients with chronic migraine experience a headache more than 14 days of the month. This condition can greatly affect family, work and social life, so it is important to have a variety of effective treatment options available,” he added.