Migraine: Developing 
Drugs for Acute 
Treatment 
Guidance for Industry 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
Food and Drug Administration 
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) 
 
February 2018 
Clinical/Medical 
 
   
Migraine: Developing 
Drugs for Acute 
Treatment 
Guidance for Industry 
 
 
 
Additional copies are available from: 
 
Office of Communications, Division of Drug Information 
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research 
Food and Drug Administration 
10001 New Hampshire Ave., Hillandale Bldg., 4th Floor  
Silver Spring, MD  20993-0002  
Phone: 855-543-3784 or 301-796-3400; Fax: 301-431-6353; Email: druginfo@fda.hhs.gov 
https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
Food and Drug Administration 
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) 
 
February 2018 
Clinical/Medical
   
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
I.  INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 
II.  BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 2 
III.  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ....................................................................................... 2 
A.  Trial Population ............................................................................................................................. 2 
B.  Efficacy Considerations ................................................................................................................. 3 
1. Trial Design ..................................................................................................................................... 3 
2. Trial Population and Entry Criteria ................................................................................................ 3 
3. Dose Selection .................................................................................................................................. 4 
4. Concomitant Medications ................................................................................................................ 4 
5. Efficacy Endpoints ........................................................................................................................... 4 
6. Trial Procedures and Timing of Assessments .................................................................................. 5 
7. Statistical Considerations ................................................................................................................ 5 
C.  Safety Considerations .................................................................................................................... 6 
D.  Other Considerations ..................................................................................................................... 7 
1. Pediatric Studies .............................................................................................................................. 7 
2. Labeling Considerations .................................................................................................................. 8 
  Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
Migraine: Developing Drugs for Acute Treatment 
Guidance for Industry1 
 
 
 
 
This guidance represents the current thinking of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) on 
this topic.  It does not establish any rights for any person and is not binding on FDA or the public.  You 
can use an alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations.  
To discuss an alternative approach, contact the FDA office responsible for this guidance as listed on the 
title page.   
 
 
 
 
I.  INTRODUCTION  
 
The purpose of this guidance is to assist sponsors in the clinical development of prescription 
drugs for the acute treatment of migraine.2 Specifically, this guidance addresses FDAs current 
thinking regarding the overall development program and clinical trial designs to support approval 
of prescription drugs for the acute treatment of migraine.3 This guidance does not apply to over-
the-counter drug products. This guidance also does not address the development of drugs 
indicated to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. Such development will be addressed 
separately in a future guidance. 
 
This guidance does not contain discussion of the general issues of statistical analysis or clinical 
trial design. Those topics are addressed in the ICH guidances for industry E9 Statistical 
Principles for Clinical Trials and E10 Choice of Control Group and Related Issues in Clinical 
Trials, respectively.4 
 
In general, FDAs guidance documents do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities. 
Instead, guidances describe the Agencys current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only 
as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of 
                                                 
1 This guidance has been prepared by the Division of Neurology Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and 
Research at the Food and Drug Administration.  
 
2 For the purposes of this guidance, all references to drugs include both human drugs approved under section 505 of 
the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and therapeutic biological products licensed under section 351 
of the Public Health Service Act unless otherwise specified. When used in this guidance, the term drugs refers to 
prescription drugs unless otherwise specified. 
 
3 In addition to consulting guidances, sponsors are encouraged to contact the Division to discuss specific issues that 
arise during the development of drugs for the acute treatment of migraine. 
 
4 We update guidances periodically. To make sure you have the most recent version of a guidance, check the FDA 
Drugs guidance web page at 
https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm. 
  1 Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
the word should in Agency guidances means that something is suggested or recommended, but 
not required.  
 
 
II.  BACKGROUND 
 
Migraine is a chronic neurovascular disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of often severe 
headache, typically accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and/or sound. In adults, 
migraine attacks usually last from 4 to 72 hours. Migraine headache is typically throbbing, 
unilateral, and aggravated by physical activity. Criteria proposed by the International Headache 
Society (IHS) require a combination of some of these characteristics and associated symptoms in 
at least five attacks to establish a diagnosis of migraine.5  
 
There are two major subtypes of migraine: migraine without aura (also called common migraine) 
and migraine with aura (also called classic migraine). Migraine with aura is characterized by 
focal neurological symptoms that typically precede, or sometimes accompany, the headache. 
These focal neurological symptoms are absent in migraine without aura. Some patients may 
present with both subtypes of migraine.  
 
Pharmacologic approaches to the treatment of migraine include drugs to treat acute migraine 
attacks as they arise (acute treatment of migraine), and drugs to reduce the frequency of migraine 
attacks (preventive treatment). This guidance addresses the development of drugs for the acute 
treatment of migraine. 
 
 
III.  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 
 
A.  Trial Population 
 
Either healthy adult volunteers or migraine patients can be enrolled in initial phase 1 trials. 
Because migraine patients are predominantly female, it is important to enroll, early in 
development (i.e., by the beginning of phase 2), women of child-bearing potential who are 
practicing effective contraception.   
 
Because migraine peak incidence is during adolescence, and onset in younger children is not 
uncommon, pediatric studies of children are required under section 505B of the Federal Food, 
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355c). Sponsors are encouraged to begin discussions about 
their pediatric clinical development plan early in development because sponsors are required to 
submit pediatric study plans no later than 60 days6 after an end-of-phase 2 meeting.7  
 
                                                 
5 See http://ihs-classification.org/en/. 
 
6 Or such other time as agreed upon. 
 
7 See section 505B(e)(2)(A)(ii)(I) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 355c(e)(2)(A)(ii)(I)). 
  2 Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
B.  Efficacy Considerations 
 
Typically, at least two adequate and well-controlled trials are needed to support approval of a new 
molecular entity. A single adequate and well-controlled trial may be sufficient to support 
approval of a new route of administration for a drug already approved for the acute treatment of 
migraine, for treatment of a new subpopulation (e.g., for the pediatric population) or for a drug 
already approved for the prophylaxis of migraine (see the guidance for industry Providing 
Clinical Evidence of Effectiveness for Human Drug and Biological Products). 
 
1.  Trial Design 
 
In general, efficacy trials should use a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel 
group design. Although a comparison of a single dose level with placebo can be used to support 
efficacy of a drug, it is usually preferable to study at least two doses.  
 
The timing of drug administration should be defined in the protocol. Although drug 
administration as early as practicable during the course of acute migraine is typically 
recommended by migraine experts, evidence should be obtained that the investigational drug is 
able to treat a migraine headache of moderate or severe intensity, because many patients reach 
that level of pain. Therefore, in efficacy trials intended to support approval, migraine patients 
should take the investigational drug as soon as they experience a migraine headache of moderate 
or severe intensity. It is also important to collect sufficient baseline information about the 
headache (i.e., headache intensity, presence or absence of associated symptoms, unilaterality or 
bilaterality of the headache, aggravation by exercise, throbbing or nonthrobbing) to be able to 
verify that the headache treated was, in fact, acute migraine. Additional trials assessing drug 
response after treatment of acute migraine at the mild pain stage can be conducted, and can be 
described in labeling.  
 
Typically, efficacy trials should assess the effectiveness of a single administration of the 
investigational drug to treat a single acute migraine episode. To assess the safety and efficacy of 
redosing (e.g., in case of recurrence of migraine symptom(s) or an incomplete response), patients 
should be re-randomized to investigational drug or control. 
 
2.  Trial Population and Entry Criteria 
 
Patients enrolled in clinical trials should have a diagnosis of migraine, with or without aura, 
according to established IHS criteria. The age at the time of initial migraine diagnosis should be 
younger than 50 years, to decrease the chance of enrolling patients with other disorders.  
 
The time since initial diagnosis should be at least 1 year. Patients with coexisting types of 
headaches (e.g., tension-type headaches) can be included in the trial if the other headaches are 
distinguishable from migraine headache by the patient.  
 
  3 Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
3.  Dose Selection 
 
The first controlled trials should explore a range of doses to assess the dose-response relationship 
and provide a basis for dose selection in definitive efficacy trials. Some data should be collected 
on doses above and below what appears to be the optimal dose, and an effort should be made to 
identify the lowest dose that provides a desirable treatment effect. It is advisable, whenever 
feasible, to obtain plasma drug level data in patients. Establishing a plasma concentration 
(exposure)-response relationship can be useful to support dosing recommendations based on 
specific patient characteristics (e.g., body weight, renal function). 
 
4.  Concomitant Medications 
 
During the conduct of early trials, and until the drugs metabolism is adequately understood, 
concomitant medications should be avoided. Assuming no important drug-drug interactions are 
anticipated, concomitant medications to reduce the frequency of migraine episodes can be used in 
later stage trials, but only if the dosage of those concomitant medications has been stable for at 
least 3 months before inclusion into the trial. If the trial population includes patients with and 
without concomitant treatment to reduce the frequency of migraine episodes, randomization 
should be stratified by use/non-use of such concomitant treatment. If drugs used for the preventive 
treatment of migraine have been withdrawn, withdrawal should be complete at least 1 month 
before trial entry. 
 
It is important that patients avoid any analgesic or other acute migraine medication(s) for at least 
24 hours before treatment with the investigational drug to reduce confounding factors. Use of 
rescue medication must be allowed, but patients should be encouraged to wait at least 2 hours 
after initial treatment before using rescue medication. Rescue medication can consist of the 
patients usual acute treatment of migraine, unless this treatment has the potential for an adverse 
interaction with the investigational drug (e.g., 5-HT agonist or ergot alkaloid medications should 
1 
be avoided within 24 hours of any investigational 5-HT agonist or vasoactive drug use). 
1 
 
5.  Efficacy Endpoints 
 
Because migraine is a complex disorder characterized by several associated symptoms (i.e., 
nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia) in addition to headache, a drug effect on headache pain 
alone is not considered sufficient to grant a claim for the acute treatment of migraine. In the past, 
approval of drugs for the acute treatment of migraine was based on the demonstration of an effect 
on four co-primary endpoints: pain, nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia. This approach 
remains acceptable. 
 
A preferred approach, which aims to better align the study outcome with the symptom(s) of 
primary importance to patients, is to demonstrate an effect on both pain and the patients most 
bothersome symptom. Patients are asked to identify their most bothersome migraine-associated 
symptom in addition to pain. The identification can take place either before the attack is treated 
(e.g., at the baseline visit), or at the time of the attack, but before administration of the study drug. 
Using this approach, the two co-primary endpoints are (1) having no headache pain at 2 hours 
after dosing and (2) a demonstrated effect on the most bothersome migraine-associated symptom 
  4 Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
at 2 hours after dose. Regardless of the associated symptom identified as most bothersome, all 
three important migraine-associated symptoms (i.e., nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia) 
should be assessed separately as secondary endpoints.  
 
Migraine-associated headache pain and associated symptoms should be measured by asking 
patients to self-report the current status of their headache pain and associated symptoms. A four-
point Likert scale should be used for headache pain (i.e., 0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe), 
and a binary scale (present or absent) should be used for associated symptoms. 
 
The following additional secondary endpoints should be assessed in efficacy trials: 
 
  The proportion of patients achieving no headache pain at various time points following 
treatment. For this analysis, it is especially useful to record the time that no headache 
pain is first noted.  
 
  The proportion of patients requiring additional medication (either a second dose or rescue 
medication) within 24 hours of initial treatment. 
 
  The proportion of patients who are sustained pain-free, defined as having no headache 
pain at 2 hours after dose, with no use of rescue medication and no relapse of headache 
pain within 24 hours (24-hour sustained pain-free) or 48 hours (48-hour sustained pain-
free) after administration of the investigational drug. The proportion of patients who are 
sustained pain-free should not be used as a primary endpoint, because it is possible to 
show a significant effect on the proportion of patients who are sustained pain-free 
without any significant drug effect on individual migraine symptoms (including pain) by 
the 2-hour time point. 
 
  The incidence of pain relapse, defined as the return of headache of any severity within 48 
hours after administration of the investigational drug, when the patient was pain-free at 2 
hours after investigational drug administration. 
 
6.  Trial Procedures and Timing of Assessments 
 
The treatment observation period should be at least 48 hours and include data collection at 
prespecified time points during the observation period (e.g., 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 24, and 48 
hours). For outpatient trials, the patient should be instructed to record all data in a headache 
diary. The headache diary should be shown to be well defined and reliable for the target 
population based on the recommendations described in the guidance for industry Patient-Reported 
Outcome Measures: Use in Medical Product Development to Support Labeling Claims. 
 
7.  Statistical Considerations 
 
The typical primary efficacy analysis should compare, between treatment groups, the proportion 
of patients with no headache pain at 2 hours after dosing (i.e., going from a pain score of 2 or 3 at 
baseline to a score of 0 at 2 hours) and the proportion of patients with absence of the most 
bothersome associated symptom at 2 hours after dosing. No correction for multiple comparisons 
  5 Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
is necessary for these two co-primary endpoints, because both must show a statistically significant 
effect of treatment.  
 
Secondary endpoints expected by FDA in acute migraine trials are described under section 
III.B.5., Efficacy Endpoints. Additional secondary endpoints may be considered. Ordering of 
secondary endpoints should be based on the trial objectives and intended claims in labeling. 
Typically, secondary endpoints to be described in labeling should not be duplicative of the 
primary endpoints. It is important to define prospectively the secondary endpoints, and 
include a statistical plan to control the Type-I error rate for the multiple comparisons.  
 
C.  Safety Considerations 
 
Acute migraine headaches are treated long term and intermittently. Therefore, the safety database 
intended to support approval should follow the same general paradigm as for chronic-use drugs, 
including the conduct of at least one long-term safety trial during which patients can treat all acute 
migraine episodes with the investigational drug.  
 
Because phase 3 trials are typically conducted in the outpatient setting, phase 1 and early phase 2 
trials, during which the investigational drug is administered under close medical supervision, 
provide the best opportunity to obtain vital sign and laboratory data at times close to 
investigational drug administration. These trials should include vital signs, hematology, serum 
chemistry, urinalysis, and 12-lead electrocardiogram at appropriate intervals. Vital signs and 
electrocardiography should be assessed around expected C for the investigational drug and 
max 
major metabolites. During most short-term phase 2 and phase 3 outpatient trials, baseline and 
post-treatment vital signs and laboratory assessment should be conducted. Safety data during 
long-term phase 3 trials should be obtained at appropriate intervals, taking into consideration the 
results of nonclinical studies and earlier human experience with the investigational drug and with 
other drugs of the class. 
 
New molecular entities should follow the safety recommendations in the ICH guidance for 
industry E1A The Extent of Population Exposure to Assess Clinical Safety: For Drugs Intended 
for Long-Term Treatment of Non-Life-Threatening Conditions. To be counted in the long-term 
safety database, adult patients should treat, on average, a minimum of two migraine attacks per 
month. The safety experience should be at relevant doses and frequency of administration, 
including a substantial experience at the highest dose and highest frequency of administration 
proposed for marketing. 
 
If the drug has the potential to have adverse vascular effects, additional nonclinical studies (e.g., 
in vitro studies to assess coronary artery vasoconstriction) and safety studies in populations at 
risk (e.g., patients with known coronary artery disease) may be needed. Consultation with the 
Division is advised early in the development program. 
 
  6 Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
D.  Other Considerations 
 
1.  Pediatric Studies 
 
Migraine is a relatively common disorder in children. There are reasons to believe that migraine 
in the adult and pediatric populations are substantially different clinical entities and one cannot 
assume that a drug effective in adults will also be effective in children. Therefore, studies in the 
pediatric population are needed. Because migraine is rare in children younger than 6 years old, a 
partial waiver for the conduct of studies in this age group generally will be granted. Sponsors are 
encouraged to begin discussions about their pediatric clinical development plan early in 
development because they are required to submit pediatric study plans no later than 60 days8 
after an end-of-phase 2 meeting.9 Pediatric studies should evaluate patients aged 6 to 17 years. 
Because disease characteristics change with puberty, pediatric studies should include adequate 
numbers of patients to characterize safety and efficacy of the drug across the entire pediatric age 
range. Migraine diagnosis should be based on IHS criteria. We recommend that sponsors refer to 
the Pediatric Research Equity Act as amended by the Food and Drug Administration 
Reauthorization Act of 201710 to review requirements for submission of an initial pediatric study 
plan.11 
 
Before initiation of a clinical efficacy trial, the pharmacokinetics of the drug in the pediatric 
population should be assessed and compared with the pharmacokinetics of the drug in adults. 
This permits proper dose selection for pediatric efficacy and safety studies.  The development of 
an age-appropriate formulation should also be considered as needed.  
 
Sponsors can consider the following two options for their pediatric efficacy studies programs:  
 
(1) Conduct separate efficacy studies, one in patients aged 12 to 17 years and a second in 
patients aged 6 to 11 years (each powered to show efficacy).  
 
(2) Conduct a single efficacy study in patients aged 6 to 17 years, with a sufficient number of 
patients in the 6- to 11-year and 12- to 17-year subgroups to be able to characterize the 
efficacy (and safety) of the drug in each subgroup adequately (but without a need to 
achieve statistical significance in each subgroup).  
 
                                                 
8 Or such other time as agreed upon. 
 
9 See section 505B(e)(2)(A)(ii)(I) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 355c(e)(2)(A)(ii)(I)).  
 
10 See section 505B of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 355c).  
 
11 See also the draft guidance for industry Pediatric Study Plans: Content of and Process for Submitting Initial 
Pediatric Study Plans and Amended Initial Pediatric Study Plans. When final, this guidance will represent the FDAs 
current thinking on this topic. 
 
  7 Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
Because of the high placebo response rate in pediatric migraine studies, an enrichment strategy12 
should be considered to increase the chance of demonstrating a drug effect. An approach that has 
proven successful in several pediatric trials is, during a migraine attack, to first administer single-
blind placebo to all patients, and then randomize only those patients who did not achieve freedom 
from pain at 30 minutes to the investigational drug or placebo. Also, only patients whose migraine 
attacks typically last at least 3 hours should be included. The proportion of patients pain-free at 
2 hours after administration of the investigational drug should be the primary endpoint. An 
approach that evaluates pain and another symptom (i.e., co-primary endpoints) is not needed for 
pediatric studies. Migraine-associated symptoms should be evaluated as secondary endpoints. 
Other secondary endpoints as described above for adult trials also should be evaluated, again with 
control of the Type-I error rate.  
 
A 1-year long-term pediatric safety study should be conducted. Generally, if the drug is already 
approved in adults, the pediatric safety database should include data on at least 200 patients 
treating, on average, one migraine attack per month for 6 months; and 75 patients treating, on 
average, at least one migraine attack per month for 1 year. That study should evaluate the effect 
of treatment on growth, cognition, and endocrine development. A juvenile animal toxicology 
study in a single species (typically rat) should be conducted prior to initiation of the long-term 
pediatric safety study.  
 
2.  Labeling Considerations 
 
Over the past 2 decades, FDA has approved several new drugs indicated for the treatment of acute 
migraine for marketing in the United States. The majority of these are selective 5-HT  
1B/1D
receptor agonists and thus belong to the drug class referred to as triptans. The principal safety 
concern with triptans relates to their ability to cause coronary or peripheral arterial constriction 
that may result in serious adverse cardiac or peripheral vascular events. As a result, FDA has 
adopted certain standard or class labeling for triptans. Future investigational drugs with similar 
pharmacological activity will be subject to this class labeling, unless it can be shown that the drug 
does not have vasoconstrictive effects. Also, new drugs of other pharmacological classes that 
also have the potential for vasoconstrictive effects probably would be subject to similar class 
labeling. 
 
The latest approved labeling for a member of this class should form the basis, or template, for 
labeling of new drugs that share a similar mechanism of action, or have similar safety issues (e.g., 
coronary vasoconstriction). As is always the case, additional information regarding the safe use 
of a drug should be included in the appropriate sections of labeling, even though it may not be 
described in this guidance. 
 
The recommendations for the following labeling sections apply to all new drugs indicated for the 
acute treatment of migraine.  
 
                                                 
12 See the draft guidance for industry Enrichment Strategies for Clinical Trials to Support Approval of Human 
Drugs and Biological Products. When final, this guidance will represent the FDAs current thinking on this topic.  
  8 Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 
  INDICATIONS AND USAGE 
 
This section should be brief and should state that the drug is indicated for the acute 
treatment of migraine with or without aura.  
 
  DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION 
 
This section should include the following information:  
 
  The minimum interval between doses to treat the same acute migraine episode (i.e., if 
the migraine episode has not resolved by 2 hours after taking the drug, or returns after 
transient improvement). Re-dosing information should be described in labeling only 
if information supporting the safety and efficacy of re-dosing is included in the 
marketing application.  
 
  The average number of acute migraine episodes within a 30-day period that can be 
treated safely (based on data obtained from the long-term safety trials).  
 
  WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS 
 
This section should include a description of medication overuse headache as follows:  
 
Medication Overuse Headache 
Overuse of acute migraine drugs (e.g., ergotamine, triptans, opioids, or a combination of 
drugs for 10 or more days per month) may lead to exacerbation of headache (i.e., 
medication overuse headache). Medication overuse headache may present as migraine-
like daily headaches or as a marked increase in frequency of migraine attacks. 
Detoxification of patients including withdrawal of the overused drugs and treatment of 
withdrawal symptoms (which often includes a transient worsening of headache) may be 
necessary. 
 
  CLINICAL STUDIES 
 
This section should describe the efficacy trials from which evidence of effectiveness was 
obtained.  
 
This section should include a figure derived using a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis 
method showing the estimated probability of achieving an initial headache response 
within the first 2 hours following the initial dose. Pooled efficacy data from similarly 
designed controlled trials can be used to generate these graphs. If there are dose-response 
data, these should be shown. A brief statement describing the dose-response relationship 
of the drug, as well as brief statements regarding efficacy in important subgroups (e.g., 
sex, age, and race) also should be included. 
  9