[Sumatriptan--future development, alternative features and potential new indications]

Abstract

Sumatriptan is a highly selective 5 HT1 receptor subtype agonist. The efficacy and safety profiles of sumatriptan given by tablet or subcutaneous injection have been extensively investigated in the acute treatment of migraine attacks, where it has proved effective and well tolerated. A substantial proportion of patients with an acute attack of migraine suffer from once or more gastrointestinal symptom, including nausea, vomiting and occasionally diarrhoea. The presence of these symptoms may make the oral administration of acute treatments unsatisfactory. Subcutaneous administration is an alternative, but fear or dislike of injections or an inability to self inject makes subcutaneous treatment unacceptable to some patients. Alternative routes of administration are being investigated to overcome these difficulties including intranasal sprays and rectal suppositories. For those patients who experience difficulties swallowing whole tablets, an effervescent tablet is under development. Recent data have demonstrated that sumatriptan offers effective relief of cluster headache attacks, a condition where suffers experience repeated severe headache attacks, of short duration, during a cluster period. Further new indications are being investigated including the treatment of menstrual migraine, paediatric migraine and other headaches.