US-based pharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced the availability of Rimegepant in Hong Kong, the first market in Asia, a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist for migraine management. There are approximately 12.5% of people living with migraine in Hong Kong and it is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Migraine disproportionately affects women, occurring three to four times more often in women than in men.

Rimegepant targets a key component of migraine by blocking CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) receptors. The increase of CGRP leads to blood vessels dilation, causing migraine attack. ^[10] CGRP receptor antagonists work by blocking CGRP receptors, thereby inhibiting the biologic activity of the endogenous CGRP neuropeptide.

Results from the Phase 3 study published in Lancet demonstrated that a single dose of Rimegepant provided superior reduction in pain and associated symptoms of migraine at two hours compared to placebo. Another study, also published in Lancet, demonstrated that Rimegepant, when taken every other day, provided superior reduction in the number of days per month with migraine in Weeks 9 –12 of the 12-week administration period when compared to placebo.

Rimegepant is launched in over 39 markets to date, including in the United States, and in the European Union and the United Kingdom. Additional regulatory applications are under review around the world.