Efficacy and safety of eletriptan 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg in Japanese migraineurs

This prospective multicentre, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of a single dose of eletriptan 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg in Japanese migraineurs. A total of 402 adult Japanese migraineurs were diagnosed using International Headache Society (IHS) criteria. At 2 h after a single dose, the headache response rates of eletriptan 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg and placebo were 64%, 67%, 76% and 51%, respectively, with all doses significantly superior to placebo (P <0.05). Eletriptan had a statistically significant dose response for headache relief and pain-free response at 2 h post-dose (P =0.0011 and P =0.0291, respectively). Most all-causality adverse events were mild and there were no deaths or discontinuations. Saliva samples were used to assess serum eletriptan levels 2 h post-dose. Pharmacokinetic evaluations showed no clinically significant differences between Japanese and Western subjects. Eletriptan was shown to be efficacious, safe, and well tolerated in Japanese migraineurs.