At this year’s PAINWeek National Conference, held September 3 to 6 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tonix Pharmaceuticals announced the launch of its new educational campaign, “Does Your Migraine Pill Work Every Time?” Targeted toward patients and health care providers, the campaign highlights the advantages of non-oral migraine treatments, such as nasal and injectable options, for individuals with gastroparesis, according to a company news release.1
Gastroparesis is a condition whereby the stomach’s muscles function slowly, preventing the timely movement of food to the small intestine. Research over the past 4 decades has demonstrated a connection between gastroparesis and migraine; symptoms of gastroparesis, which include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, are common before, during, and in between migraine attacks.1
- Tonix Pharmaceuticals launched a new educational campaign that aims to empower patients with knowledge about gastroparesis and migraine and promote alternative treatment options.
- Many individuals with migraine also experience gastroparesis, which can exacerbate their symptoms and interfere with the effectiveness of oral migraine medications.
- Due to the delayed or incomplete absorption of oral medications in patients with gastroparesis, non-oral options like nasal sprays and injectables can provide faster and more effective relief from migraine symptoms.
Gastroparesis interferes with the absorption of nutrients and medications. When it comes to oral migraine medications, this inefficiency can cause delayed, incomplete, or no migraine symptom relief.1 Through its campaign, Tonix Pharmaceuticals seeks to address this by promoting alternative treatments that bypass the gastrointestinal system.
“Non-oral migraine medications, such as injectables and nasal sprays, do not rely on the digestive system to be absorbed and can offer the potential for faster relief from migraine symptoms in as little as 10 minutes,” said Debora I. Friedman, MD, MPH, FAHS, board-certified neuro-ophthalmologist, headache medicine specialist, and founding director of the headache and facial pain program and cerebrospinal fluid dynamics program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in the release.1 “There are several options when it comes to nasal and injectable treatments, and I encourage patients to talk with their clinician about adding a non-oral medication to their treatment plan.”
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A previous study examined the connection between migraines and gastroparesis by comparing gastric emptying rates in people with migraine with aura to a control group. The study found that 78% and 80% of 10 people with migraine with aura met the criteria for gastroparesis during and between migraine attacks, respectively. Additionally, those with migraines took over an hour longer to empty their stomachs compared to the control group (188.8 vs 111.8 minutes).2
