SUMATRIPTAN INJECTION REDUCES PRODUCTIVITY LOSS DURING A MIGRAINE ATTACK - RESULTS OF A DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL

Objective: To evaluate the impact of sumatriptan succinate injection c ompared with placebo on productivity loss during a migraine attack in the workplace. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, p arallel-group clinical trial. Setting: Fifteen clinical centers in the United States. Patients: One hundred thirty-five patients 18 years an d older diagnosed as having migraine according to International Headac he Society criteria. Interventions: Patients self-administered sumatri ptan injection (6 mg) or matching placebo to treat a moderate or sever e migraine occurring within the first 4 hours of a minimum 8-hour work shift. Main Outcome Measures: Mean productivity loss 2 hours after do sing and across the work shift; percentages of patients returning to n ormal work performance within 2 hours after dosing and across the work shift; percentages of patients experiencing headache relief (reductio n of moderate or severe predose pain to mild or no pain) 1 and 2 hours after dosing. Results: Mean productivity loss was significantly (P le ss than or equal to.002) lower in the sumatriptan group compared with the placebo group both during the 2-hour postdose period (sumatriptan, 39 minutes; placebo, 54 minutes) and across the work shift (sumatript an, 86 minutes; placebo, 168 minutes). Significantly (P<.001) greater percentages of patients in the sumatriptan group compared with the pla cebo group returned to normal work performance by 2 hours after dosing (sumatriptan, 52%; placebo, 9%) and across the work shift (sumatripta n, 66%; placebo, 18%). Significantly (P less than or equal to.001) gre ater percentages of patients in the sumatriptan group compared with th e placebo group experienced headache relief 1 hour after dosing (sumat riptan, 69%; placebo, 18%) and 2 hours after dosing (sumatriptan, 79%; placebo, 32%). Conclusion: Sumatriptan reduced migraine-associated pr oductivity loss during a minimum 8-hour work shift by approximately 50 % compared with placebo and alleviated headache in more than three fou rths of patients.