'Rapid uptake' of new migraine tablets

Prescriptions for new migraine tablets, atogepant and rimegepant, more than tripled in England in just one year following NICE approval.

In 2025, 22,800 people were prescribed at least one of these migraine tablets by their GP, compared to around 7,000 people in 2024, according to NICE. The total number of people receiving these medicines across the NHS is thought to be higher still, as these figures exclude prescriptions from hospitals and specialist clinics.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE said: ‘These tablets are already transforming the lives of thousands of people with migraine in England, and the rapid uptake is very encouraging. We hope this continued momentum means even more people can benefit in the months ahead.’

Rob Music, chief executive at The Migraine Trust, said: ‘Around one in seven people in the UK live with migraine. It is nearly as common as asthma, epilepsy, and diabetes combined.’

A migraine is not the same as a headache. Symptoms can include severe throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, and extreme sensitivity to light, sounds and smells. Attacks can last for days and are more common in women than men.

A Migraine Trust survey of 2,000 people reported that 89% of respondents said the condition had affected their mental health, and a third reported having thoughts of suicide due to their migraine.

Mr Music said: ‘Many feel they are not believed, there’s a stigma associated with it, and on top of that there’s the struggle to get onto the right care pathway as quickly as possible.’

Migraine causes millions of lost workdays every year, costing the UK economy more than £4 billion. Research undertaken for The Migraine Trust puts the figure at around £9 billion a year when accounting for presenteeism – people at work but unable to perform at their best.

Until recently, preventive treatments included antidepressants, antiepileptics and beta-blockers. These medicines are not designed specifically for migraine and often come with difficult side effects or contraindications, or stop working over time.

NICE recommended rimegepant in 2023 for treating migraine and preventing episodic attacks (between 4 and 14 migraines per month), and atogepant in 2024 for preventing both episodic and chronic migraine (15 or more headache days per month). The pills can be used by adults to prevent migraine if at least three other preventive treatments have failed.

NICE’s approval of these new tablets has widened access for those whom other preventive therapies had failed. Around 14,500 people received rimegepant and 9,300 atogepant in 2025 – with some people being prescribed both treatments during the year.

Atogepant and rimegepant work by blocking CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide), a chemical associated with migraine attacks. Although CGRP-targeting therapies have been available for several years as infusions or injections, these are the first that can be taken as tablets.

A version of this article was first published on our sister title The Pharmacist.