OnabotulinumtoxinA: Five years of safe and effective migraine relief!

OnabotulinumtoxinA (BoNTA) continues to safely reduce migraine frequency even after five years of treatment, making it a reliable long-term treatment option for patients.

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BoNTA in reducing the frequency of chronic migraine over the course of 5 years.

A retrospective review of 489 patients with chronic migraine undergoing BoNTA treatment for over five years was conducted. People who withdrew from the treatment because of poor efficacy or tolerability were not considered.

The participants in the study, primarily females with an average age of 49, commenced with an average of 24.7 headache days per month (MHDs) and 15.7 migraine days per month (MMDs). After five years on BoNTA, the number of MMDs dropped significantly by 9.4 days, and MHDs decreased by 14.9 days. The treatment had a 59.1% responder rate. Side effects were reported by a small fraction: neck pain (17.5%), headache (17.3%), eyelid ptosis (8.5%), and muscle atrophy i.e. loss of skeletal muscle mass (7.5% for temporal and 3.2% for trapezius). Importantly, no serious adverse events or discontinuations due to safety issues were noted.

BoNTA remains a potent, long-term solution for chronic migraines, offering sustained relief and a reassuring safety record beyond five years of treatment proving to be a long-term hero in the battle against chronic migraines.