London, April 18: In a breakthrough, scientists have found an antibody, a monthly dose of which could halve the number of debilitating attacks of migraine on patients who have exhausted all other treatments.
The findings showed that people treated with erenumab were nearly three times more likely to have reduced their migraine days by 50 per cent or more than those treated with placebo.
Those treated with erenumab also had a greater average reduction in the number of days they had headaches and the number of days they needed to take drugs to stop the migraines.
"Our study found that erenumab reduced the average number of monthly migraine headaches by more than 50 percent for nearly a third of study participants. That reduction in migraine headache frequency can greatly improve a person's quality of life," said Uwe Reuter from The Charite - University Medicine Berlin in Germany.
Erenumab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks pain signals by targeting a receptor for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).
This peptide transmits migraine pain signals. Erenumab occupies the nerves to which CGRP would usually bind.
"Our results show that people who thought their migraines were difficult to prevent may actually have hope of finding pain relief," Reuter added.
The preliminary results will be presented at the forthcoming American Academy of Neurology's 70th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
For the study, 246 people who had episodic migraine were given injections of either 140 milligrams of erenumab or a placebo once a month for three months.
Of the participants, 39 per cent had been treated unsuccessfully with two other medications, 38 per cent with three medications and 23 per cent with four medications.
A total of 30 per cent of the people treated with erenumab had half the number of headaches compared to 14 per cent on placebo.
For those on erenumab, there was an average 1.6 times greater reduction in migraine days and a 1.7 times greater reduction in acute medication days compared to those on placebo.
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Senior TV anchor Rahul Kanwal quits India Today group
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI): Senior journalist and Television anchor Rahul Kanwal on Thursday resigned from the India Today Group after being associated with the diversified media conglomerate for 22 years.
Kanwal, who is the News Director, India Today and Aaj Tak and Executive Director, Business Today, sent in his resignation letter to Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson and Executive Editor-in-Chief TV Today Network.
In an email to the staff of the TV Today Network, Purie said Rahul will be moving on to explore new opportunities.
"After more than 22 years with us, Rahul Kanwal - News Director, TVTN, and Executive Director of Business Today - will be moving on to explore new opportunities," Purie said.
"Rahul has been an integral part of our leadership team, shaping television news with his sharp political insights, election coverage, and investigative reporting at India Today and Aaj Tak. His career, from a passionate journalist to a News Director, has been nothing short of remarkable, setting an inspiring precedent for aspiring journalists in our organization,” Purie said.
Purie said Rahul’s story is the quintessential India Today Group narrative--an extraordinary journey of organic growth, limitless opportunities, and a meteoric rise that benefited both sides.
In his resignation letter, Rahul said leading the India Today and Aaj Tak newsrooms has been the "greatest honour of his life".
The TV Today Network also intimated the Bombay Stock Exchange about Rahul's resignation. The company has accepted his resignation, it said.
