, in 2013. The planned 240 subjects are being enrolled over the course of a year, with investigators in Chile and Australia. The study results can therefore be expected in late 2014 or early 2015. The multiple ongoing trials of CGRP antibodies should provide a definitive answer as to whether this therapeutic approach will lead to a new class of antimigraine agents. Phase 2 efficacy data for anti-CGRP antibodies can be expected in 2014 from Arteaus, Alder, and Amgen. Perhaps more importantly, these data should provide a significant assessment of whether chronic modulation of CGRP will lead to a viable treatment

for migraine after 25 years of research supporting its role in the disorder. At this point in time, it is sobering to note that clinical research in the field of migraine has been BGJ398 decreasing steadily over the past few years, with the exception check details of a recent increase in the clinical evaluation of CGRP antagonists in migraine. Particularly striking is the fact that all but one of the ongoing clinical trials (Table 1) involve migraine prevention or the treatment of chronic migraine. This may be the first time in many decades

that so few new agents are being evaluated in the acute treatment of migraine. The reasons for this significant decrease in clinical development are numerous. First and foremost, a number of new pharmaceutical agents that modulate novel therapeutic targets (eg, glutamate and orexin receptors) have failed

to demonstrate efficacy in clinical trials. Second, a few agents have demonstrated efficacy, yet have safety profiles that appear to limit their further development. However, there also appears to be a third reason for the slower development of novel therapies in migraine. This reason for decreased clinical development might be termed “pharmaceutical limbo,” defined as the discontinuation of development for agents that do demonstrate clinical efficacy with an acceptable safety profile, but whose degree of efficacy is not deemed sufficient by the sponsor to warrant further clinical development. Within the past few years, a number of potentially novel migraine therapies appear to have fallen into 6-phosphogluconolactonase this category, most prominently of which are the small molecule CGRP antagonists. There have now been at least 5 different small molecule CGRP antagonists that have demonstrated statistical proof of efficacy in the acute treatment of migraine. At least 2 of these agents are orally available with no known major safety concerns. However, future development of these agents (eg, BMS-927711 and BI 44370) appears to have been discontinued or suspended. Lasmiditan, an 5-HT1F receptor agonist, is another example of this situation. Although 6 clinical studies with lasmiditan have been completed successfully, including a Phase 2B double-blind, placebo-controlled oral dose ranging study treating a single migraine attack, the drug has been unable to progress to Phase 3.