Anvisa approves Aquipta for migraine prevention in adults

Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has approved the registration of Aquipta (atogepanto), a new oral medication for the prevention of episodic and chronic migraines in adults. The drug is indicated for patients experiencing at least four migraine episodes per month.

Developed by AbbVie, atogepanto works by blocking a specific pathway involved in pain transmission, specifically targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor. This mechanism differs from many traditional preventive therapies that do not target the specific pathophysiological drivers of the disease. Clinical studies cited by Anvisa demonstrated a significant reduction in the number of monthly migraine days for both episodic and chronic sufferers.

While the approval has been officialized in the Diário Oficial da União, the medication must still undergo price regulation by the Chamber for the Regulation of the Medicines Market (CMED) before it is available in Brazilian pharmacies. The drug is already marketed in the United States and several European countries.