Exploring Erenumab's Efficacy and Safety for Migraine Prevention in Real-World Settings: A Systematic Review

Cureus. 2024 Jul 28;16(7):e65571. doi: 10.7759/cureus.65571. eCollection 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Migraine causes debilitating headaches and significantly impacts quality of life. Effective migraine-specific treatments have been lacking until the advent of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors, which have expanded therapy options for migraine treatment. This study explores the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of erenumab in migraine treatment. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 criteria guided this systematic review. Five databases - PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Sage Journal - were searched for published, freely accessible, full-text articles in English from the past five years. Eligible patients included those with episodic or chronic migraines who received erenumab intervention. From an initial search yielding 680 relevant studies, 12 prospective observational cohort studies were selected after assessing the risk of bias through the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. All included studies demonstrated a significant reduction in monthly migraine days (MMDs) by the end of the treatment period, with mild adverse effects observed. No significant short-term or long-term safety concerns were identified.

Keywords: anti-cgrp mab; chronic migraine; episodic migraine; erenumab; migraine; treatment resistant migraine.

Publication types

  • Review