Pharmacokinetics of DFN-15, a Novel Oral Solution of Celecoxib, Versus Celecoxib 400-mg Capsules: A Randomized Crossover Study in Fasting Healthy Volunteers

Dissolution profiles of BCS class II drugs generated by the gastrointestinal simulator alpha has an edge over the compendial USP II method

The poor water solubility of orally administered drugs leads to low dissolution in the GI tract, resulting to low oral bioavailability. Traditionally, in vitro dissolution testing using the compendial dissolution apparatuses I and II has been the gold-standard method for evaluating drug dissolution and assuring drug quality. However, these methods don't accurately represent the complex physiologies of the GI tract, making it difficult to predict in vivo behavior of these drugs. In this study, the in vivo predictive method, gastrointestinal simulator alpha (GIS-α), was used to study the dissolution profiles of commercially available BCS Class II drugs, danazol, fenofibrate, celecoxib, and ritonavir. This biorelevant transfer method utilizes multiple compartments alongside peristaltic pumps, to effectively model the transfer of material in the GI tract. In all cases, the GIS-α with biorelevant buffers gave superior dissolution profiles. In silico modeling using GastroPlusTM yielded better prediction when utilizing the results from the GIS-α as input compared to the dissolution profiles obtained from the USP II apparatus. This gives the GIS-α an edge over compendial methods in generating drug dissolution profiles and is especially useful in the early stages of drug and formulation development. This information gives insight into the dissolution behavior and potential absorption patterns of these drugs which can be crucial for formulation development, as it allows for the optimization of drug delivery systems to enhance solubility, dissolution, and ultimately, bioavailability.

Challenges and Opportunities for Celecoxib Repurposing

Drug repositioning, also known as drug repurposing, reprofiling, or rediscovery, is considered to be one of the most promising strategies to accelerate the development of new original drug products. Multiple examples of successful rediscovery or therapeutic switching of old molecules that did not show clinical benefits or safety in initial trials encourage the following of the discovery of new therapeutic pathways for them. This review summarizes the efforts that have been made, mostly over the last decade, to identify new therapeutic targets for celecoxib. To achieve this goal, records gathered in MEDLINE PubMed and Scopus databases along with the registry of clinical trials by the US National Library of Medicine at the U.S. National Institutes of Health were explored. Since celecoxib is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that represents the class of selective COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs), its clinical potential in metronomic cancer therapy, the treatment of mental disorders, or infectious diseases has been discussed. In the end, the perspective of a formulator, facing various challenges related to unfavorable physicochemical properties of celecoxib upon the development of new oral dosage forms, long-acting injectables, and topical formulations, including the latest trends in the pharmaceutical technology, such as the application of mesoporous carriers, biodegradable microparticles, lipid-based nanosystems, or spanlastics, was presented.

Celecoxib Oral Solution and the Benefits of Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SMEDDS) Technology: A Narrative Review

INTRODUCTION

The oral route of drug delivery is the most widespread and preferred route of administration, but it has several limitations, including variable pharmacokinetics (PK), reduced dissolution and absorption, and gastrointestinal irritation. Further, many compounds have low aqueous solubility, which also limits intestinal absorption.

METHODS

For this narrative review, we conducted a literature search of PubMed until August 2022, focusing on emulsions, microemulsions, nanoemulsions, and self-emulsifying drug delivery systems.

RESULTS

The self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) overcomes these limitations of hydrophobic compounds to enhance their bioavailability. A SMEDDS formulation is a clear, thermodynamically stable, oil-in-water emulsion of lipid, solubilized drug, and two surfactants, which spontaneously forms droplets < 100 nm in diameter. These components help deliver presolubilized drugs to the gastrointestinal tract, while protecting them from degradation in gastric acid or first-pass hepatic metabolism. SMEDDS formulations have improved oral drug delivery in the treatment of cancer (paclitaxel), viral infections (ritonavir), and migraine headache (ibuprofen and celecoxib oral solution). The American Headache Society recently updated their consensus statement for the acute treatment of migraine and included a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 selective inhibitor formulated in SMEDDS, celecoxib oral solution. This SMEDDS formulation showed pronounced improvement in bioavailability compared with celecoxib capsules, allowing for a low dose of celecoxib in the oral solution to provide safe and effective acute migraine treatment. Here, we will focus on SMEDDS formulations, what differentiates them from other analogous emulsions as vehicles for poorly soluble drugs, and their clinical application in the acute treatment of migraine.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral drugs reformulated in SMEDDS have shown accelerated times to peak plasma drug concentrations and increased maximum plasma concentrations, compared with capsules, tablets, or suspensions. SMEDDS technology increases both drug absorption and bioavailability of lipophilic drugs, compared with other formulations. Clinically, this allows the use of lower doses with improved PK profiles without compromising efficacy, as shown with celecoxib oral solution for the acute treatment of migraine.

Advanced In Vivo Prediction by Introducing Biphasic Dissolution Data into PBPK Models

Coupling biorelevant in vitro dissolution with in silico physiological-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) tools represents a promising method to describe and predict the in vivo performance of drug candidates in formulation development including non-passive transport, prodrug activation, and first-pass metabolism. The objective of the present study was to assess the predictability of human pharmacokinetics by using biphasic dissolution results obtained with the previously established BiPHa+ assay and PBPK tools. For six commercial drug products, formulated by different enabling technologies, the respective organic partitioning profiles were processed with two PBPK in silico modeling tools, namely PK-Sim and GastroPlus^®, similar to extended-release dissolution profiles. Thus, a mechanistic dissolution/precipitation model of the assessed drug products was not required. The developed elimination/distribution models were used to simulate the pharmacokinetics of the evaluated drug products and compared with available human data. In essence, an in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) was successfully developed. Organic partitioning profiles obtained from the BiPHa+ dissolution analysis enabled highly accurate predictions of the pharmacokinetic behavior of the investigated drug products. In addition, PBPK models of (pro-)drugs with pronounced first-pass metabolism enabled adjustment of the solely passive diffusion predicting organic partitioning profiles, and increased prediction accuracy further.

The Safety of Celecoxib as an Acute Treatment for Migraine: A Narrative Review

INTRODUCTION

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been the first-line choice for the acute treatment of migraine attacks for decades; however, the safety of a particular NSAID is related to its treatment dose, duration, and mechanism of action. Although adverse event (AE) risks differ substantially among individual migraine treatments, increased or prolonged exposure to any NSAID elevates risks and severity of AEs.

METHODS

For this narrative review, we conducted a literature search of PubMed until July 2022, focusing on the history, mechanism of action, and treatment guidelines informing the safety and efficacy of celecoxib oral solution for the acute treatment of migraine attacks.

RESULTS

Here we discuss the mechanisms of action of nonselective NSAIDs vs. cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, and how these mechanisms underlie the AEs associated with these treatments. We review the clinical trials that influenced the regulatory history of NSAIDs, specifically COX-2 inhibitors, the role of traditional and new formulations of NSAIDs including celecoxib oral solution, and special considerations in the acute treatment of migraine attacks.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-dose formulations of NSAIDs, such as celecoxib oral solution, provide acute migraine analgesia with similar or fewer associated cardiovascular and gastrointestinal events than previous formulations.

New Approaches to Shifting the Migraine Treatment Paradigm

The standard of care paradigm for migraine treatment has been based almost exclusively on approaches that grew out of the happenstance use of market pharmaceuticals. Only methysergide, which has long since been removed from use for safety concerns, the ergotamine family of drugs, and the triptans were explicitly developed with migraine and other vascular headaches in mind. While the forward and innovative thinking to utilize the broad array of agents to treat migraine served millions well, their therapeutic efficacy was often low, and adverse event profiles were troublesome in the least. Advances in biochemical and molecular biology and the application of advanced "designing drugs" methods have brought about a potentially significant shift in treatment. The gepants have efficacies similar to the triptans but without vascular safety or medication overuse concerns. Preventative gepants offer innovative approaches to prevention and efficacy that exceed even the CGRP monoclonal antibodies. Those monoclonal antibodies brought rapid and highly effective outcomes across the spectrum of migraine. They outpaced older oral medication efficacy and eliminated most adverse events while potentially improving compliance with monthly or quarterly dosing. Other serotonin receptors beyond the 5HT1B and1D receptors have been targeted for decades. They now lead us to better formulations of dihydroergotamine for efficacy, convenience, and tolerability, and a 5HT1F-specific acute treatment like the gepants opens new options for acute management. Neuromodulation goes back to the mid-1800's. Our improved understanding of applied biomedical engineering has brought forward several tantalizing devices, including the application of currents distant from the target and patient regulated. Whether these advances change the paradigm of migraine treatment and standards of care remains to be seen, and issues such as cost and patient acceptance will help mold it.

Celecoxib Microparticles for Inhalation in COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Inhalation therapy is gaining increasing attention for the delivery of drugs destined to treat respiratory disorders associated with cytokine storms, such as COVID-19. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 includes an inflammatory storm with the release of cytokines from macrophages, which may be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs as celecoxib (CXB). For this, CXB-loaded PLGA microparticles (MPs) for inhaled therapy and that are able to be internalized by alveolar macrophages, were developed. MPs were prepared with 5% and 10% initial percentages of CXB (MP-C1 and MP-C2). For both systems, the mean particle size was around 5 µm, which was adequate for macrophage uptake, and the mean encapsulation efficiency was >89%. The in vitro release of CXB was prolonged for more than 40 and 70 days, respectively. The uptake of fluorescein-loaded PLGA MPs by the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line was evidenced by flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy. CXB-loaded PLGA MPs did not produce cytotoxicity at the concentrations assayed. The anti-inflammatory activity of CXB (encapsulated and in solution) was evaluated by determining the IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α levels at 24 h and 72 h in RAW 264.7 macrophages, resulting in a higher degree of reduction in the expression of inflammatory mediators for CXB in solution. A potent degree of gene expression reduction was obtained with the developed CXB-loaded MPs.

Efficacy and safety of single-dose DFN-15 for treatment of acute postsurgical dental pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

ABSTRACT

The analgesic efficacy and safety of DFN-15, a new oral liquid formulation of celecoxib with more rapid absorption than the capsule, were evaluated in the treatment of acute pain in adult patients after dental surgery. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study, 120 otherwise healthy adults who underwent the extraction of bilateral impacted mandibular third molar teeth and experienced moderate to severe pain postsurgery were randomly assigned, in a 1:1:1:1 ratio, to receive one dose of either placebo or DFN-15 at 3 doses: 62.5, 125, and 250 mg. Participants were evaluated at prespecified time points over 8 hours after study drug administration, using several instruments, including the 11-point Numerical Pain Rating Scale, 5-point Pain Relief Scale, and 5-point Treatment Satisfaction Scale. Rescue analgesic (oxycodone / acetaminophen) was permitted. The primary endpoint was the summed pain intensity difference (SPID) over the 6-hour postdose period (SPID6), which was compared between each DFN-15 dose and placebo using analysis of covariance. Other assessments of pain relief, use of rescue medication, and safety were also analyzed. All 3 doses of DFN-15 were significantly superior to placebo in SPID6 (least square mean difference over placebo: -756.6, -1120.7, and -1355.1, P < 0.0001 for all comparisons). In addition, DFN-15 was generally superior to placebo in other endpoints, including reduction of pain intensity, speed and magnitude of pain relief, treatment satisfaction, and rescue medication use. DFN-15 was similar to placebo in the incidence of adverse events with no apparent dose-related effects.

New Oral Drugs for Migraine

Migraine is a common and disabling neurological disorder, with several manifestations, of which pain is just one. Despite its worldwide prevalence, there remains a paucity of targeted and effective treatments for the condition, leaving many of those affected underserved by available treatments. Work over the last 30+ years has recently led to the emergence of the first targeted acute and preventive treatments in our practice since the triptan era in the early 1990s, which are changing the landscape of migraine treatment. These include the monoclonal antibodies targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide or its receptor. Evolving work on novel therapeutic targets, as well as continuing to exploit drugs used in other disorders that may also have a therapeutic effect in migraine, is likely to lead to more and more treatments being able to be offered to migraineurs. Future work involves the development of agents that lack vasoconstrictive effects, such as lasmiditan, do not contribute to medication overuse, such as the gepants, and do not interact with other drugs that may be used for the disorder, as well as agents that can act both acutely and preventively, thereby utilising the quantum between acute and preventive drug effects which has been demonstrated with different migraine drugs before. Here we discuss the evolution of oral migraine treatments over the last 5 years, including those that have gained regulatory approval and reached clinical practice, those in development and potential other targets for the future.

A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Efficacy, Tolerability, and Safety of Celecoxib Oral Solution (ELYXYB) in Acute Treatment of Episodic Migraine with or without Aura

Background

Safe, effective, oral therapies are needed for acute treatment of migraine. This clinical trial assessed the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of celecoxib oral solution (ELYXYB) in a single migraine attack associated with moderate-to-severe pain.

Methods

This was a phase III, randomized (1:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, conducted at 41 US centers from December 2016 to October 2017. Adults with episodic migraine (with or without aura) for ≥1 year were treated with a single 4.8 mL dose of 120-mg celecoxib oral solution or placebo. Co-primary endpoints were the proportion of patients who were pain-free and free from the most bothersome migraine symptom (MBS) at 2 hours post-dose. The MBS was identified at screening from among nausea, photophobia, or phonophobia.

Results

Six hundred thirty-one patients were randomized (celecoxib oral solution, n=316; placebo, n=315; mean age 41 years, range 18-75; 84.3% female). One study site met prespecified outlier criteria (defined as a treatment effect estimate that was at least twice as large as all other sites) and was excluded from efficacy analyses. This site had a mean 2-hour pain freedom placebo response rate of 75% vs a combined mean of 23.5% for all other sites. In subsequent analysis, 2-hour post-dose pain freedom response rates were significantly higher in the celecoxib oral solution group vs placebo (32.8%, [27.2%, 38.8%]) vs 23.5%, [18.5%, 29.2%]; P=0.020). For 2-hour post-dose MBS freedom, response rates were significantly higher in the celecoxib oral solution group vs placebo (58.1% [51.4%, 64.5%] vs 43.9% [37.2%, 50.7%]; P=0.003). A total of 10.7% (31/289) of patients treated with celecoxib oral solution and 9.9% (28/283) of placebo-treated patients reported a treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE). Study drug-related TEAEs were reported by 7.3% (21/289) and 7.4% (21/283) of celecoxib oral solution and placebo patients, respectively; the most common were nausea (celecoxib oral solution: 1.4% [4/289] vs placebo: 1.8% [5/283]) and dysgeusia (celecoxib oral solution: 1.7% [5/289] vs placebo: 1.1% [3/283]). No serious TEAEs, deaths, or drug-related TEAEs leading to withdrawal were reported.

Conclusion

Celecoxib oral solution is a safe, effective COX-2-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of acute migraine. In this analysis, celecoxib oral solution was significantly more effective than placebo and was also associated with a low rate of gastric TEAEs. Celecoxib oral solution may provide a convenient, alternate option to currently available treatments.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03009019; registered January 4, 2017; retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03009019.

Evaluating Solubility of Celecoxib in Age-Appropriate Fasted- and Fed-State Gastric and Intestinal Biorelevant Media Representative of Adult and Pediatric Patients: Implications on Future Pediatric Biopharmaceutical Classification System

Prediction of performance of traditional, reformulated, and novel oral formulations in adults and pediatrics is of great importance. This study was conducted to assess solubility of celecoxib in age-appropriate fasted- and fed-state gastric and intestinal biorelevant media, classify celecoxib into biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS), and assess the effects of age-related developmental changes in the composition and volume of gastrointestinal fluids on the solubility and performance of oral formulations containing celecoxib. Solubility of celecoxib was assessed at 37°C in the pH range specified by the BCS-based criteria in 13 age-appropriate biorelevant media reflective of the gastric and proximal small intestinal environment in both fasted and fed states in adults and different pediatric subpopulations. A validated HPLC-UV method was used to quantify celecoxib. Experimental and computational molecular descriptors and in vivo pharmacokinetic data were used to assign the permeability class of celecoxib. Celecoxib belonged to BCS class 2. The pediatric to adult solubility ratios were outside the 80-125% boundaries in 3 and borderline in 1 biorelevant media. Significant age-related variability could be predicted for oral formulations containing celecoxib intended for pediatric use. Findings of this study indicated that the criteria used in the adult BCS might not be directly applied to pediatric subpopulations.

Acute Treatment of Migraine with Celecoxib Oral Solution: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely used for migraine, but gastrointestinal tolerability limits use. We previously reported results from the first treatment period of this 2-period, randomized, controlled study comparing DFN-15—an oral, ready-made liquid solution of a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor celecoxib—with placebo for the acute treatment of a moderate-severe migraine attack. Herein, we report the effects of treatment for the second treatment period.

Methods

In the first treatment period of this trial, adults with migraine were randomized to double-blind trial treatment of attacks of moderate or severe pain with DFN-15,120 mg or placebo. For the second treatment period, reported herein, participants were re-randomized to treat an attack of any baseline pain intensity (mild, moderate, or severe). Co-primary efficacy endpoints specified for the first attack were not specified for the second attack.

Results

Of the 531 patients who completed the first treatment period, 491 (n = 243 DFN-15; n = 248 placebo; 87% female, mean age 41 years) were re-randomized into the second double-blind treatment period. Baseline pain intensity was mild in 17.2% (85/493) of patients, moderate in 58.4% (288/493) of patients, and severe in 22.9% (113/493) of patients. At 2 hours post-dose, DFN-15 was superior to placebo for freedom from pain (46.2% [110/238] vs 31.1% [76/244], p ≤ 0.001) and the most bothersome symptom (63.4% [121/191] vs 50.0% [98/196], p = 0.010). Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred in 7.1% (35/493) of patients (DFN-15: 6.1% [15/244]; placebo 8.0% [20/249]). Study drug-related TEAEs occurred in 5.1% (25/493) of patients (DFN-15: 4.5% [11/244]; placebo 5.6% [14/249]); nausea (1% [5/493]) and dysgeusia (0.8% [4/493]) were most common. No serious TEAEs, severe TEAEs, or TEAEs leading to study drug termination were reported.

Conclusions

DFN-15 was superior to placebo for pain freedom and freedom from the most bothersome symptom when patients treat a migraine attack of any baseline pain intensity. Rates of TEAEs did not differ between treatment groups.

The Efficacy and Safety of DFN-15 for the Treatment of Migraine: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies

OBJECTIVES

The efficacy of DFN-15 for pain control of migraine remains controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of DFN-15 versus placebo on pain control in migraine patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We search PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library databases through November 2019 for randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of DFN-15 versus placebo on pain control in migraine patients. This meta-analysis is performed using the random-effects model.

RESULTS

Three randomized controlled trials are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with the control group in migraine patients, lasmiditan treatment shows a positive impact on pain freedom at 2 hours (risk ratio [RR], 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.61-2.40; P < 0.00001), headache response at 2 hours (RR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.25-1.57; P < 0.00001), and pain freedom at 24 hours (RR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.33-2.62; P = 0.0003), but has no obvious influence or no substantial impact on no or mild disability level (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.97-1.52; P = 0.09) or nausea (RR, 2.42; 95% CI, 0.53-11.01; P = 0.25). In addition, lasmiditan seems to result in the increase in dizziness (RR, 7.33; 95% CI, 1.83-29.30; P = 0.005) and paresthesia (RR, 5.17; 95% CI, 2.08-12.86; P = 0.0004).

CONCLUSIONS

DFN-15 treatment may be effective and safe for pain control in migraine patients.

Efficacy, Tolerability, and Safety of DFN-15 (Celecoxib Oral Solution, 25 mg/mL) in the Acute Treatment of Episodic Migraine: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of 120 mg DFN-15 vs placebo for the acute treatment of migraine.

BACKGROUND

Certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are guideline-recommended therapies for the acute treatment of migraine, but patients who use them may have issues with gastrointestinal tolerability. Celecoxib, a selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2, produces analgesia similar to nonselective NSAIDs. DFN-15 is an oral, ready-made liquid solution of celecoxib being investigated for the acute treatment of migraine.

METHODS

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, efficacy, tolerability, and safety study in adults with migraine was conducted. Subjects treated a single migraine attack with 120 mg DFN-15 or placebo as soon as possible after the onset of pain of moderate to severe intensity. The 2 independent coprimary efficacy endpoints were the proportion of subjects with freedom from pain and the absence of the most bothersome symptom (MBS) at 2 hours postdose. A second double-blind treatment period followed the first, but did not contribute to the primary outcomes and will be reported elsewhere.

RESULTS

There were 622 subjects randomized (1:1) to double-blind treatment with either 120 mg DFN-15 or placebo, and 567 (91.2%) treated a migraine with study drug (n = 285 DFN-15; n = 282 placebo). Groups were balanced in demographic characteristics; the mean age was 40, and most subjects were female (87% [494/567]). At 2 hours postdose, DFN-15 was significantly superior to placebo for pain freedom (35.6% [98/275] vs 21.7% [57/263], P < .001), with an odds ratio (95% CI) of 2.00 (1.36, 2.94) and for freedom from the MBS (57.8% [134/232] vs 44.8% [104/232], P = .007), with an odds ratio (95% CI) of 1.68 (1.17, 2.43). A total of 13.3% (38/285) of DFN-15-treated subjects and 8.9% (25/282) of placebo-treated subjects reported a treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE). Study drug-related TEAEs were reported by 9.1% (26/285) of DFN-15 subjects and 6.0% (17/282) of placebo subjects, the most common of which were dysgeusia (4.2% [12/285] vs 1.4% [4/282]) and nausea (3.2% [9/285] vs 1.8% [5/282]). No subjects treated with DFN-15 reported TEAEs that were severe or led to withdrawal, and no serious TEAEs or deaths were reported in the study.

CONCLUSIONS

DFN-15 was significantly more effective than placebo for the acute treatment of migraine, with a generally favorable tolerability and safety profile.

Efficacy and safety of DFN-15, an oral liquid formulation of celecoxib, in adults with migraine: a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study

BACKGROUND

The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to assess the safety, efficacy, and potential for dose response of a new oral liquid formulation of celecoxib, DFN-15, in adults with migraine. Variability in patient-identified most bothersome symptom (MBS) across 3 migraine attacks was also evaluated.

METHODS

This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 3-treatment, 6-sequence, 3-period, crossover study of 3 treatments (DFN-15 120 mg, DFN-15 240 mg, and placebo) administered at the onset of moderate to severe headache.

RESULTS

Of 63 randomized subjects, 56 (89%) took single doses of DFN-15 120 mg and 240 mg and completed all 3 treatment periods. Most subjects were female (75.0%) and white (86.7%), with a mean age of 43.6 years. Both doses of DFN-15 achieved a higher 2-hour pain-free response than placebo (29.1% for 120 mg, 26.1% for 240 mg, and 17.6% for placebo), but the differences were not statistically significant. Photophobia was most commonly reported as the MBS, but for 53% of subjects (27/51), their identified MBS varied across the 3 studied attacks. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events with DFN-15 were dysgeusia (≤11.8%) and nausea (≤5.9%).

CONCLUSION

Both doses of DFN-15 outperformed placebo for the 2-hour pain-free end point, but due to a carryover effect with placebo, the differences were not statistically significant. Since response to both doses was similar, DFN-15 120 mg is being further developed for the management of acute migraine. Further study is needed to determine whether the current findings are altered by larger or different trial designs (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02472418).