Prophylactic treatment of migraine with botulinum toxin type A: a pharmacoeconomic analysis in a community setting

Summary

The purpose of this retrospective outpatient database analysis was to evaluate the impact of prophylactic botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA) treatment of migrainous headaches on the costs associated with triptan use and physician office visits.

The study was conducted in a community-based neurology practice. Consecutive patients diagnosed with episodic migraine (International Headache Society criteria 1.1, 1.2) or chronic migraine (criterion 1.5.1) who failed previous oral prophylactic headache treatments were treated with one BoNTA treatment (25–100 units).

No significant adverse events were reported. A single BoNTA treatment led to substantial reductions in triptan prescription use and in the frequency of office visits related to migraine symptoms, whilst also improving the condition of episodic and chronic migraine patients by decreasing the frequency of headache episodes by 53%. The cost of BoNTA treatment was offset by cost savings related to triptan use and physician office visits.