Botox gets ok to treat migraines

Drug maker Allergan received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to market its wrinkle-smoothing drug botox for the treatment of serious, chronic migraine headache.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the FDA approved Botox for use by patients who experience the debilitating headaches for 15 days or more per month. According to Allergan, about 3.2 million Americans fall into this category.

For use against chronic migraine, doctors are advised to inject botox into the neck or head every 12 weeks to help ward off future attacks.

Approval was based on two Allergan-funded studies involving more than 1,300 patients received Botox or a placebo injection. According to the AP, in one of the studies patients on botox had about two fewer days of migraine per month on average compared to those on the sham injection.

"This condition can greatly affect family, work and social life, so it is important to have a variety of effective treatment options available," FDA's Dr. Russell Katz, director of neurology products, said in a statement. (HealthDay News, October 2010) 


(Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.)

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