“Medicine of the Year” offers relief to migraine sufferers

The Medicine of the Year 2023 Award of the Hungarian Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology was bestowed on a medicament with the active ingredient rimegepant, which, besides relieving acute headaches, is also suitable for preventing further migraine attacks. The award was presented by Dr. Péter Ferdinandy, President of the Society, to Krisztina Zsigmond, Country Lead of Hungary at Pfizer, at a ceremony held at the Semmelweis Salon of Semmelweis University.

The Medicine of the Year Award of the Hungarian Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology has been presented every year since 1996 to support the diffusion of advanced medicines in Hungary that represent a breachthrough in the treatment of a disease, said Dr. Péter Ferdinandy, President of the Society, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovations at Semmelweis University, Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, at the award ceremony held in the Semmelweis Salon. He pointed out that the main evaluation criteria of the independent jury were the scientific novelty of the mechanism of action, the therapeutic niche of the product, and its added value in domestic R&D.

The active ingredient rimegepant, developed by 2023 awardee Pfizer, is the first product to be approved in the European Union for both the acute and preventive treatment of migraine, emphasized Dr. Gábor Pethő, chairman of the jury and Professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy at the University of Pécs. As he added, the new approach is that a proven treatment for migraine seizures can be used for preventive purposes in the future, if necessary, by adjusting the dosage.

In his presentation on the possibilities inherent in the medicine’s clinical use, Dr. János Tajti, Professor at the Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Centre, University of Szeged, member of the boards of the Hungarian Headache Society and the Hungarian Pain Society, highlighted that the medicine is orally soluble, making it effective for migraine sufferers with nausea; furthermore, it is suitable for patients, even elderly, with cardiovascular problems; migraine sufferers with mild or even severe liver failure, and can be given alongside breastfeeding, too.

“Every day we strive to combat diseases that are still unsolved and incurable today,” said Krisztina Zsigmond, Country Lead of Hungary at Pfizer. The company’s products have been available in Hungary since the 1960s, she added. Since 1991, Pfizer has been operating as an independent company in Hungary; and all four medical universities are connected to Pfizer’s global clinical trial network today. In addition to dozens of research studies at 149 clinical trial sites in Hungary and annual sales of HUF 41 billion, the company also has an impact on the domestic healthcare system, with some HUF 218 million in funding.