Work

A National Cross-Sectional Survey on Real-World Experiences of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) Monoclonal Antibody Use in Adults with Migraine in Finland

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were the first preventive migraine treatment group to target the underlying cause of migraine. This survey evaluated real-life experiences of adults with migraine in Finland before and after using their current subcutaneous CGRP mAb treatment. Adult users of a subcutaneous CGRP mAb for migraine prevention were recruited for an electronic cross-sectional survey by Finnish community pharmacies and Migraine Finland (a patient advocacy group) in 2023. The survey included questions regarding monthly migraine headache days, absenteeism, general disability, pain intensity, treatment patterns, and a validated Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQoL) questionnaire. The survey was completed by 383 users of subcutaneous CGRP mAb medication, of whom 78 (20.4%) were receiving galcanezumab. Users of galcanezumab, the latest CGRP mAb to be reimbursed in Finland, had more previous CGRP mAb treatment switches than users of other CGRP mAbs. Following any subcutaneous CGRP mAb use, changes were observed in the number of monthly migraine headache days (0–7 experienced by 17/379 participants [4.5%] with data before, versus 302/379 [79.7%] after using treatment; ≥ 12 experienced by 279/379 [73.6%] before, versus 34/379 [9.0%] after), monthly sick leave days (from 139/376 [37.0%] to 15/376 [4.0%] with ≥ 4 monthly sick leave days), overall ability to work or study (from 180/377 [47.7%] to 287/377 [76.1%] able to work or study full time) and average intensity of migraine pain (median [lower–upper quartile] from 8.0 [7.0–9.0] before to 6.0 [4.0–8.0] after). No differences were observed between total MSQoL scores for new (0–6 months CGRP mAb use) versus persistent (≥ 6 months use) users of any CGRP mAb. Patient experiences of using subcutaneous CGRP mAbs in Finland showed improvements in several migraine-related factors, supporting the potential for CGRP mAbs to improve the quality of life of adults with migraine. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were the first preventive migraine treatments to target a molecule called CGRP, which has been shown to play a key role in the condition. We performed an electronic cross-sectional (single point-in-time) survey to understand the real-life experiences of adults with migraine treated with a subcutaneous CGRP mAb in Finland. The survey was completed by 383 users of subcutaneous CGRP mAb medication. Most people were very satisfied (44.6%) or satisfied (25.1%) with their current CGRP mAb. After initiation of any subcutaneous CGRP mAb, changes were observed in the number of monthly migraine headache days (0–7 experienced by 4.5% of participants with data before, versus 79.7% after treatment; ≥ 12 experienced by 73.6% before, versus 9.0% after), number of monthly sick leave days (from 37.0% to 4.0% with ≥ 4 monthly sick leave days), overall ability to work or study (from 47.7% to 76.1% able to work/study full time) and average intensity of migraine pain (from 8.0 to 6.0, based on a score from 0 [lowest] before to 10 [highest] after). Migraine-Specific Quality of Life scores did not differ between people who had been on their treatment for less than or more than 6 months. Participants reported improvements in several migraine-related factors after using a subcutaneous CGRP mAb, supporting the potential for these medications to improve the quality of life of adults with migraine.

Source: Pain and Therapy

DOI: 10.1007/s40122-025-00719-5