Pharma giant Pfizer announced that a first-of-its-kind fast-acting nasal spray for treating migraines has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In a statement, Pfizer said that it expects the drug Zavzpret to be in pharmacies in July 2023.
Angela Hwang, the chief commercial officer of the pharmaceutical company, said that, the FDA approval of Zavzpret marks a significant breakthrough for people with migraines who need freedom from pain and prefer alternative options to oral medications. Over 40 million people in the United States are thought to suffer from migraines, which the World Health Organization ranks among the top ten most crippling medical conditions.
Migraines are characterized by debilitating attacks that can last anywhere from four to seventy-two hours and are characterized by symptoms like pulsating headaches with moderate to severe pain and, in some cases, nausea or vomiting.
Nasal sprays have been tested by researchers for migraine patients for whom oral medications are ineffective, slow-acting, or intolerable due to nausea and vomiting. In a phase 3 clinical trial, Pfizer discovered that Zavzpret, a novel class of small molecule medications, performed better than a placebo in relieving migraine pain two hours after administration.
