Almotriptan: a novel 5-HT1B/D agonist for the symptomatic treatment of migraine.

Currently available oral triptans are not ideal, at least for 20-30% of migraine patients, due to either response failure or adverse events. Almotriptan is a novel selective 5-HT1B/D receptor agonist exhibiting the highest bioavailability among triptans, both outside and within a migraine attack. The tolerability of the therapeutic oral dose of almotriptan, 12.5 mg, is similar to that of placebo, with a remarkably low incidence of chest symptoms. At this dose, efficacy parameters remain comparable to those of sumatriptan 100 mg, while the recurrence rate is in the lower range. This balanced profile makes almotriptan 12.5 mg a good choice for the symptomatic treatment of the typical migraine patient.