Comparison of rizatriptan and other triptans on stringent measures of efficacy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To compare the efficacy of oral rizatriptan 10 mg with oral doses of sumatriptan, naratriptan, and zolmitriptan on stringent outcome measures.

METHODS:

Retrospective analysis of data from five randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked clinical trials in which oral rizatriptan was directly compared with oral sumatriptan 100 mg (n = 772), 50 mg (n = 1116), 25 mg (n = 1183), naratriptan 2.5 mg (n = 413), and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg (n = 580) for the acute treatment of a moderate or severe migraine attack.

OUTCOME MEASURES:

Percentage of patients pain-free at 2 hours, symptom-free at 2 hours (no pain, nausea, photophobia, phonophobia, vomiting, or functional disability), 24-hour sustained pain-free (no headache at 2 hours, no recurrence, and no additional antimigraine medications for 24 hours).

RESULTS:

More patients taking rizatriptan 10 mg were pain-free at 2 hours than were patients taking sumatriptan 100 mg (40% vs 33%, p = 0.019), sumatriptan 50 mg (40% vs 35%, p = 0.009), sumatriptan 25 mg (38% vs 27%, p < 0.001), naratriptan 2.5 mg (45% vs 21%, p < 0.001), and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg (43% vs 36%, p = 0.041). More patients taking rizatriptan 10 mg were symptom-free at 2 hours than were patients taking sumatriptan 100 mg (31% vs 22%, p = 0.002), sumatriptan 50 mg (33% vs 28%, p = 0.003), sumatriptan 25 mg (33% vs 24%, p < 0.001), naratriptan 2.5 mg (30% vs 11%, p < 0.001), and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg (31% vs 24%, p = 0.042). More patients taking rizatriptan 10 mg had a 24-hour sustained pain-free response than did patients taking sumatriptan 100 mg (27% vs 23%, p = 0.112), sumatriptan 50 mg (30% vs 26%, p = 0.015), sumatriptan 25 mg (27% vs 20%, p = 0.005), naratriptan 2.5 mg (29% vs 17%, p = 0.004), and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg (32% vs 24%, p = 0.013).

CONCLUSION:

Oral rizatriptan 10 mg was more effective than oral sumatriptan, naratriptan, and zolmitriptan on stringent outcome measures of pain-free response at 2 hours, symptom-free response at 2 hours, and 24-hour sustained pain-free response.

• Authors: J U Adelman, R B Lipton, M D Ferrari, H C Diener, K A McCarroll, K Vandormael, C R Lines
• Journal: Neurology (Neurology) Vol. 57 Issue 8 Pg. 1377-83 (Oct 23 2001) ISSN: 0028-3878 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11673575 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Indoles
• Oxazolidinones
• Piperidines
• Serotonin Receptor Agonists
• Triazoles
• Tryptamines
• zolmitriptan
• rizatriptan
• Sumatriptan
• naratriptan

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Humans
• Indoles (administration & dosage)
• Migraine Disorders (drug therapy)
• Oxazolidinones (administration & dosage)
• Patient Satisfaction
• Piperidines (administration & dosage)
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• Retrospective Studies
• Serotonin Receptor Agonists (administration & dosage)
• Sumatriptan (administration & dosage)
• Triazoles (administration & dosage)
• Tryptamines