New drugs approved to treat migraines and heart failure in Scotland

A new treatment for migraines has been approved for use on the NHS In Scotland in what has been hailed as a “positive step forward” for sufferers.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approved rimegepant, also known under the trade name Vydura, to help those who suffer from what can be a painful and debilitating condition.

Migraine sufferers can experience symptoms including head pain, vomiting, nausea, disturbed vision, fatigue and increased sensitivity to light, sound and smells.

But the new treatment, which comes in the form of a wafer which dissolves in the mouth, could be a “positive step towards helping to improve care for eligible patients”, Dr David Watson of NHS Grampian said.

He said: “Migraines can have a significant impact on the daily lives of people who suffer with them.

“Today’s decision, to recommend an orally dissolvable wafer and expand migraine treatment options, is a positive step towards helping to improve care for eligible patients in Scotland.”

Toby Cousens, head of hospital and internal medicine at the drug firm Pfizer UK, said the new treatment had been developed because there was “an unmet medical need to support people living with migraine”.

While the SMC accepts rimegepant for the acute treatment of migraine, it said the same drug could not be used to prevent the condition – saying there were “clinical and cost effectiveness uncertainties in comparison with other available preventative treatments”.

Mr Cousens said that the SMC decision was still “good news for eligible patients in Scotland”.

He added: “As well as the physical impact of symptoms, migraine can have a negative impact on the professional and personal lives of those living with it.

“We’re committed to supporting people living with migraine and will continue to work with the SMC and other health bodies in the UK to help further improve access and care.”

The SMC also approved the drug empagliflozin – sold under the trade name Jardiance – to treat those patients with chronic heart failure.

The drug has already been used for some patients with heart problems, with the latest decision extending its use to more people.

SMC chair, Dr Scott Muir, said: “We are very pleased to be able to accept empagliflozin for chronic heart failure.

“This is a debilitating condition where the effects of fatigue, coughing, wheezing and reduced appetite can have a wide reaching impact on a person’s day-to-day activities.

“Empagliflozin offers another treatment option for this condition.”

The SMC was unable to approve a new drug for the treatment of a type of lymphoma cancer, in patients not suitable for stem cell transplant, nor could it accept a treatment to reduce the risk of stroke or cardiovascular damage in patients already on statins – which reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Dr Muir said that when the new treatments were compared with what was already available on the NHS, there was “uncertainty that they would offer value for money”.