Experimental Drugs May Help Migraine Sufferers

BOSTON (CBS) -- Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from migraines and many get them so often and so severely that they can hardly function.

But now there is a new class of drugs which are showing promise in preventing these terrible headaches.

Anyone who has had a migraine knows just how miserable they are. Not only do people complain of debilitating pain but often nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to lights, and dizziness and sometimes only a dark room can bring comfort. The symptoms can last for days.

While there are a number of medications on the market to treat migraines when they occur, they can be difficult to prevent, but help may be on the way.

A new class of experimental drugs, called CGRP monoclonal antibodies, may keep migraines at bay with few side effects.

In small studies, half the patients treated reported a 50 percent decrease in the frequency of migraine attacks.

It's estimated that about one-third of people who suffer from migraines could benefit from preventative treatment. These drugs would be taken once a month by injection.

It may be years before they become available to the public, but experts say they would be the first class of anti-migraine drugs to hit the market since 1991.