No clinically relevant electrocardiogram effects in a randomized TQT study of single therapeutic/supratherapeutic rimegepant doses in healthy adults

A single-center, phase I, partially double-blind (double-blind regarding doses of rimegepant and placebo, and open label with respect to moxifloxacin), randomized, 12-sequence, four-period crossover study of therapeutic (75 mg) and supratherapeutic (300 mg) doses of rimegepant with placebo and moxifloxacin (400 mg) controls was designed to evaluate drug effect on the Fridericia corrected QT (QTcF) interval in healthy fasted adults. A total of 38 participants were randomized and dosed in the study. Electrocardiogram (ECG) data were available from 37 participants in the rimegepant 75-mg group, 38 participants in the rimegepant 300-mg group, and 36 participants in the moxifloxacin and placebo groups. Both the 75- and 300-mg doses of rimegepant had no clinically relevant effect on ECG parameters, including QTcF, heart rate, PR and QRS interval, T-wave morphology, and U-wave presence. All upper 90% confidence intervals for the QTcF effect with rimegepant were less than or equal to 4.69 ms, well below the 10-ms threshold for potential clinical significance. Assay sensitivity was demonstrated by the QT effect of moxifloxacin. Using both by-timepoint and concentration-QTc analysis, a placebo-corrected change-from-baseline QTcF greater than 10 ms could be excluded for rimegepant plasma concentrations up to ~10,000 ng/mL, representing concentrations at least 10.8-fold the maximum observed concentration of the 75-mg therapeutic dose of rimegepant.

Metabolic and toxicological considerations regarding CGRP mAbs and CGRP antagonists to treat migraine in COVID-19 patients: a narrative review

INTRODUCTION

Migraine pharmacological therapies targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), including monoclonal antibodies and gepants, have shown clinical effect and optimal tolerability. Interactions between treatments of COVID-19 and CGRP-related drugs have not been reviewed.

AREAS COVERED

An overview of CGRP, a description of the characteristics of each CGRP-related drug and its response predictors, COVID-19 and its treatment, the interactions between CGRP-related drugs and COVID-19 treatment, COVID-19 and vaccination-induced headache, and the neurological consequences of Covid-19.

EXPERT OPINION

Clinicians should be careful about using gepants for COVID-19 patients, due to the potential drug interactions with drugs metabolized via CYP3A4 cytochrome. In particular, COVID-19 treatment (especially nirmatrelvir packaged with ritonavir, as Paxlovid) should be considered cautiously. It is advisable to stop or adjust the dose (10 mg atogepant when used for episodic migraine) of gepants when using Paxlovid (except for zavegepant). CGRP moncolconal antibodies (CGRP-mAbs) do not have drug - drug interactions, but a few days' interval between a COVID-19 vaccination and the use of CGRP mAbs is recommended to allow the accurate identification of the possible adverse effects, such as injection site reaction. Covid-19- and vaccination-related headache are known to occur. Whether CGRP-related drugs would be of benefit in these circumstances is not yet known.

Mode and site of action of therapies targeting CGRP signaling

Targeting CGRP has proved to be efficacious, tolerable, and safe to treat migraine; however, many patients with migraine do not benefit from drugs that antagonize the CGRPergic system. Therefore, this review focuses on summarizing the general pharmacology of the different types of treatments currently available, which target directly or indirectly the CGRP receptor or its ligand. Moreover, the latest evidence regarding the selectivity and site of action of CGRP small molecule antagonists (gepants) and monoclonal antibodies is critically discussed. Finally, the reasons behind non-responders to anti-CGRP drugs and rationale for combining and/or switching between these therapies are addressed.

Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Single and Multiple Daily Dosing of 75-mg Rimegepant Orally Disintegrating Tablets in Healthy Chinese Adults: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Rimegepant is an oral small-molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonist for acute migraine treatment with or without aura and prevention of episodic migraine in adults. This was a rimegepant single- and multiple-dose phase 1, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and confirm safety in healthy Chinese participants. Participants received a 75-mg rimegepant orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) (N = 12) or matching placebo (N = 4) ODT on days 1 and 3-7 after fasting for pharmacokinetic assessments. Safety assessments included 12-lead electrocardiograms, vital signs, clinical laboratory data, and adverse events (AEs). After a single dose (9 females, 7 males) median time to maximum plasma concentration was 1.5 hours; mean values were 937 ng/mL (maximum concentration), 4582 h*ng/mL (area under the concentration-time curve, 0 to infinity), 7.7 hours (terminal elimination half-life), and 19.9 L/h (apparent clearance). Similar results were seen after 5 daily doses, with minimal accumulation. Six (37.5%) participants experienced ≥1 treatment-emergent AE: 4 (33.3%) had received rimegepant and 2 (50.0%) had received placebo. All AEs were grade 1 and resolved by the end of the study with no deaths, serious/significant AEs, or AEs leading to discontinuation. Overall, single- and multiple-dose rimegepant ODT 75 mg was safe and well-tolerated in healthy Chinese adults with similar pharmacokinetics to non-Asian healthy participants. Trial registration: This trial is registered with the China Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE): CTR20210569.

Characterization of erenumab and rimegepant on calcitonin gene-related peptide induced responses in Xenopus Laevis oocytes expressing the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor and the amylin-1 receptor

BACKGROUND

The clinical use of calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (CGRP-R) antagonists and monoclonal antibodies against CGRP and CGRP-R has offered new treatment possibilities for migraine patients. CGRP activates both the CGRP-R and structurally related amylin 1 receptor (AMY1-R). The relative effect of erenumab and the small-molecule CGRP-R antagonist, rimegepant, towards the CGRP-R and AMY-R needs to be further characterized.

METHODS

The effect of CGRP and two CGRP-R antagonists were examined in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing human CGRP-R, human AMY1-R and their subunits.

RESULTS

CGRP administered to receptor expressing oocytes induced a concentration-dependent increase in current with the order of potency CGRP-R> > AMY1-R > calcitonin receptor (CTR). There was no effect on single components of the CGRP-R; calcitonin receptor-like receptor and receptor activity-modifying protein 1. Amylin was only effective on AMY1-R and CTR. Inhibition potencies (pIC50 values) for erenumab on CGRP induced currents were 10.86 and 9.35 for CGRP-R and AMY1-R, respectively. Rimegepant inhibited CGRP induced currents with pIC50 values of 11.30 and 9.91 for CGRP-R and AMY1-R, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that erenumab and rimegepant are potent antagonists of CGRP-R and AMY1-R with 32- and 25-times preference for the CGRP-R over the AMY1-R, respectively. It is discussed if this difference in affinity between the two receptors is the likely reason why constipation is a common and serious adverse effect during CGRP-R antagonism but less so with CGRP binding antibodies.

Safety and Risk of Medication Overuse Headache in Lasmiditan and Second-Generation Gepants: A Rapid Review

The treatment of migraine is often complicated by insufficient headache relief, a miscellany of side effects and the risk of developing Medication Overuse Headache (MOH). Novel acute therapies have been recently developed and are now in the early post-marketing phase. Lasmiditan is a highly selective serotonin receptor agonist that binds to the 5-HT_1F receptor, while ubrogepant and rimegepant antagonize the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor. All three medications are now prescribed in a real-world setting, and an adequate level of knowledge is the starting point for rational use. In this rapid systematic review, we have established what is known about lasmiditan, ubrogepant and rimegepant, highlighting the most relevant safety aspects available from published studies and speculating about their risk of MOH.