About 39 million Americans have migraine disease and 4 million live with chronic migraine. People with chronic migraine experience the debilitating pain and symptoms of migraine at least 15 days per month. If you have migraine disease or know someone who does—and just about all of us do—you appreciate the profound impact that migraine can have on a person’s relationships, career and quality of life.
In recent years, we’ve gained greater insight into the underlying biology of the disease and discovered new targets for treatment. Despite the growing number of therapies available, however, the unmet need in migraine is significant. Migraine disease remains misunderstood, undiagnosed and undertreated. Some people, frustrated by persistent symptoms or therapies that don’t meet their needs, resign themselves to living with migraine and a diminished—or “good-enough”—quality of life. We hear from people who tell us they avoid settings that might trigger an attack. Postpone vacations for fear migraine will interfere. Miss family events due to symptoms. Delay starting a family due to headache. Settle for moderate improvement, or even forego care and treatment altogether.
At Lundbeck, we believe all people deserve brain health, and we are committed to offering more people the hope of a preventive treatment that may lessen or relieve symptoms. “Good enough” simply isn’t enough.
Recently, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved our new treatment for migraine. We are excited to bring this innovative preventive therapy to patients and contribute to helping the migraine community.
So many people who touched this medicine along the way have a personal connection to migraine, and we bring our lived experience and understanding to our new partnership with the migraine community. We also bring our unique perspective as the only global biopharmaceutical company solely focused on the brain. We have a long history supporting people with neurological and psychiatric diseases, and our 70+ years of experience in mental health gives us a keen understanding of the anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges that can impact people with chronic migraine. We will bring forth a holistic approach to our support of people with migraine disease. And we look forward to providing the same beyond-the-pill commitment that led to U.S. patient groups ranking us #1 in corporate reputation for the past four years.
This approval is the culmination of a decade-long journey, and there are many people who played a role in bringing this treatment to patients. I want to thank the committed team from Alder BioPharmaceuticals, now Lundbeck Seattle BioPharmaceuticals, Inc., whose passion and dedication over so many years brought us to the point where we can provide a new and different treatment option for people with migraine. I also want to express extreme gratitude for the clinical trial sites and investigators, and, of course, the people who participated in the trials. We value the time you gave to our research efforts and we are grateful for the trust that you placed in us. Your contributions may ultimately help more people live life fully, rather than compromise and accept a life controlled by migraine.
Through this new therapy and our continued research, we are focused on using advanced technologies to develop effective treatments that deliver better quality of life for people living with migraine. Because we are tirelessly dedicated to restoring brain health, and because every person with migraine deserves to be their best.