SMC accepts atogepant for acute migraine treatment in Scotland
pharmafile | October 22, 2026 | News story | | Neurology, SMC, clinical trial, migraine
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted AbbVie’s Aquipta (atogepant) as an option for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults meeting specified criteria.
The recommendation applies where at least two triptans – medicines prescribed for migraine symptoms – have failed to provide adequate relief, are contraindicated or have not been tolerated, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol have also failed to provide sufficient relief.
The decision is supported by the phase 3 ECLIPSE trial, which evaluated atogepant against placebo in adults with migraine with or without aura who had experienced two to eight migraine attacks in each of the three months before screening or the first study visit.
At the first treated attack, 24.3% of patients receiving atogepant achieved pain freedom two hours after dosing, compared with 13.1% receiving placebo (p<0.0001).
During the double-blind study period, the most frequently reported treatment-emergent adverse events were nasopharyngitis, affecting 4.6% of patients, and upper respiratory tract infection, affecting 2.3%.
Around 600,000 adults in Scotland live with migraine, according to AbbVie.
Rob Music, Chief Executive Officer of the Migraine Trust, welcomed the decision, citing inconsistencies in access to appropriate treatment and the need for greater choice for patients who do not respond adequately to existing options.
Dr David Watson, GPwER Headache at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, said the additional option was welcome for patients who did not respond to or tolerate existing treatments.
Rachael Millward, Medical Director at AbbVie UK, said the company welcomed the decision and remained committed to supporting people living with migraine.
Pic: Sander Sammy
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