Real-world achievement of higher standards for migraine prevention with CGRP monoclonal antibodies

ObjectiveTo evaluate the achievement of the International Headache Society (IHS) higher standards for migraine prevention in patients treated with calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibodies (CGRP mAbs) in real-world practice.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 307 migraine patients treated with CGRP mAbs at a single center. Monthly migraine days (MMDs) were assessed at baseline and during follow-up (1-24 months). According to IHS recommendations, migraine control was categorized as optimal (6 days/month). Patients were further classified by the timing of achieving optimal control.ResultsThe percentage of patients achieving a ≥ 50% reduction in MMDs increased from 36.2% at month 1 to 71.0% at month 24; optimal control increased from 15.0% to 38.8%. Among patients with a ≥ 50% response, 38.7-55.7% achieved optimal control during follow-up. Migraine freedom remained relatively uncommon (1.6-10.1%). Patients who achieved optimal control early (≤3 months) had a lower baseline migraine burden, whereas nonachievers had a higher baseline disease burden and more prior preventive treatment failures.ConclusionsCGRP mAbs were associated with substantial reductions in migraine frequency; however, achieving optimal control and migraine freedom remains challenging in real-world practice, particularly in patients with a higher baseline burden.