Topiramate effective in migraine prophylaxis

The established anticonvulsant topiramate ['Topamax'] is effective in preventing migraine, according to data from two phase III studies presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology [Honolulu, US; March−April 2003]. These studies, MIGR-001 and MIGR-002, involved a total of over 900 patients, and showed that treatment with topiramate at dosages of 100 mg/day or 200 mg/day, compared with placebo, significantly reduced the number of headaches that patients experienced each month, and also their requirement for acute medication. Topiramate was generally well tolerated, with similar proportions of patients in the placebo and active treatment groups completing the studies.