Safety and tolerability of the novel 5-HT1B/1D agonist rizatriptan in migraineurs

Several clinical studies have been carried out to determine the efficacy of the recently developed 5-HT1B/1D agonist, rizatriptan, for the treatment o f acute attacks of migraine. In the course of these studies, the safety and tolerability of these treatments have also been in investigated. Consisten tly across trials, the incidence of clinical adverse experiences was mild o r moderate in intensity and transient in nature, The most common clinical a dverse experiences (dizziness, somnolence, asthenia/fatigue, and nausea) in patients receiving rizatriptan 5 mg were mild and similar to those observe d in patients on placebo, increasing modestly in patients on rizatriptan 10 mg, The incidence of adverse experiences did not increase notably followin g treatment of headache recurrences with up to tyro additional doses within 24 hours of the initial attack. No clinically significant electrocardiographical effects of oral rizatripta n given as a 5- or 10-mg dose could be demonstrated in patients,vith migrai ne. The incidence of chest pain on rizatriptan 5 or 10 mg was similar to th at in patients on placebo, Adverse laboratory findings were not observed. Data collected in long-term studies indicate that oral rizatriptan 5 or 10 mg used intermittently for up to 1 year is well-tolerated. In conclusion, the 5-HT1B/1D agonist, rizatriptan, possesses a desirable cl inical profile with good tolerability/safety and may represent a further ad vance in the treatment of acute migraine attacks.