Eli Lilly Prices New Class of Migraine Treatment

Eli Lilly announced that its new acute migraine treatment, Reyvow (lasmiditan), will be priced at $640 for a pack of eight pills.

Migraine is typically treated using triptans, but Reyvow is the first and only FDA-approved ditan, 5-HT_1F receptor agonist, believed to act both centrally and peripherally, according to Eli Lilly’s press release.

Health care officials in the company’s press release said, “Reyvow has demonstrated the chance for patients to achieve rapid and complete elimination of migraine pain and their most bothersome symptom of sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, or nausea.”

By treating more than pain symptoms, Reyvow sets the first example of the implementation of new guidance issued by the FDA and American Headache Society in which migraine efficacy trials demonstrate both “pain freedom and freedom from most bothersome symptoms.”

Results of efficacy trials for Reyvow included the following:

• 28% to 39% of patients achieved fast and complete elimination of migraine pain at two hours with Reyvow vs 15% and 21% with placebo across two clinical studies and three doses
• 41 to 49% of patients achieved freedom from most bothersome symptom at 2 hours with Reyvow vs 30% and 33% with placebo across two clinical studies and three doses
• The migraine treatment will be available in 50 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg tablets to be taken orally, which creates more flexibility for physicians and other providers for dosage and treatment options.

“With a single dose, Reyvow offers the chance for quick and complete elimination of moderate to severe migraine pain in just two hours,” said Michael Cobas Meyer, MD, vice president, global medical affairs, Lilly Bio-Medicines. “When asking people with migraine, they prioritize fast and complete elimination of pain from acute treatments. We feel fortunate we can now provide patients with a treatment option that helps achieve that outcome.” —Edan Stanley