Real-world effectiveness of add-on fremanezumab in patients receiving onabotulinumtoxinA for the prevention of chronic migraine in a US tertiary headache center: A retrospective chart review study

Abstract

Concomitant fremanezumab, a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway monoclonal antibody (mAb), and onabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA) improve treatment response compared with onabotA alone in patients with chronic migraine (CM). This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study that assessed treatment response (change over time in monthly headache days [MHD] and pain intensity [PI]) in adult patients with CM receiving fremanezumab as add-on therapy to onabotA for CM prevention. In the study population ( N = 116, age 50.0 ± 13.1, female 85.3%, pre-index onabotA use 46.5 ± 34.2 months) receiving concurrent onabotA and fremanezumab for 17.5 ± 11.6 months, MHD decreased by 3.60 days (95% confidence interval [CI]: −5.26, −1.94, p < 0.001) and PI was reduced by 0.43 (95% CI: −0.77, −0.09, p = 0.012) at the final visit. Statistically significant reductions were seen in both MHD (−4.61, 95% CI: −6.84, −2.39; p < 0.001) and PI (−0.52, 95% CI: −0.84. −0.09; p = 0.017) among patients naïve to mAbs against CGRP or its receptor. No unexpected adverse events were observed. Concomitant fremanezumab and onabotA for CM prevention were effective at reducing the number of MHD and lessening PI, particularly in patients with difficult-to-treat CM who are naïve to mAbs against CGRP or its receptor.