A nasal spray containing the drug zolmitriptan, which is known by the brand name Zomig, effectively relieves migraine headache in adolescents and is well tolerated, according to a study.

In the study, conducted by Dr. Donald W. Lewis, of Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, and colleagues, 275 migraine attacks in 171 adolescents (12 to 17 years old) were treated, including 148 with zolmitriptan and 127 with placebo.

Onset of headache relief occurred within 15 minutes in roughly 37 percent of zolmitriptan treatments compared with 23 percent of placebo treatments, a significant difference favoring zolmitriptan.

Likewise, at 1 hour, zolmitriptan nasal spray produced a much higher headache response rate relative to placebo (58 percent versus 43 percent, respectively).

Zolmitriptan nasal spray was significantly superior to placebo in improvement in pain-free rates, pain intensity, sustained resolution of migraine, and resolution of associated migraine symptoms, the authors report in the journal Pediatrics. Patients treated with zolmitriptan nasal spray were more apt to return to normal activities than patients treated with placebo.

There were no serious side effects to the nasal spray. The most commonly reported side effects were taste disturbance, nasal discomfort, and nasal congestion.

Zolmitriptan nasal spray, the team concludes, provides “fast and significantly effective” relief of migraine symptoms for adolescent migraine sufferers.

SOURCE: Pediatrics August 2007.