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The following is a summary of “A National Cross-Sectional Survey on Real-World Experiences of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) Monoclonal Antibody Use in Adults with Migraine in Finland,” published in the April 2025 issue of Pain and Therapy by Casey et al. 

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) represented the initial preventive migraine treatment class specifically designed to address the fundamental mechanisms of migraine.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the real-life experiences of adults with migraine in Finland before and after receiving the current subcutaneous CGRP mAB treatment.  

They recruited adults using subcutaneous CGRP mAbs for migraine prevention through Finnish community pharmacies and Migraine Finland (a patient advocacy group) in 2023. An electronic cross-sectional survey collected data on monthly migraine headache days, absenteeism, disability, pain intensity, and treatment patterns and included the validated Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQoL) questionnaire.  

The results showed that 383 individuals completed the survey on subcutaneous CGRP mAB use, with 78 (20.4%) receiving galcanezumab. The galcanezumab users, most recently reimbursed CGRP mAb in Finland and had more prior treatment switches than users of other CGRP mAbs. After treatment, monthly migraine headache days decreased (0–7 days in 17/379 [4.5%] before vs 302/379 [79.7%] after; ≥12 days in 279/379 [73.6%] before vs 34/379 [9.0%] after). Sick leave days of ≥4 per month declined from 139/376 (37.0%) to 15/376 (4.0%). Full-time work or study ability increased from 180/377 (47.7%) to 287/377 (76.1%). Median migraine pain intensity (lower–upper quartile) dropped from 8.0 [7.0–9.0] to 6.0 [4.0–8.0]. No significant differences were observed in total MSQoL scores between new (0–6 months) and persistent (≥6 months) CGRP mAb users.  

Investigators concluded that patient experiences of using subcutaneous CGRP mAbs had shown improvements in several migraine-related factors. 

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40122-025-00719-5