Headaches got you down? A new patch may help

Migraine sufferers now have a new weapon in the fight against the effects of the debilitating headache. In recent months, the FDA has approved the new Zecuity skin patch system for adults with migraines. The treatment was developed by specialty pharmaceutical company NuPathe.

Activated by a button, the medicine is delivered through the skin via a patch on the upper arm or thigh, bypassing the stomach. Taking this detour around the stomach eases nausea, one of the nastier effects of migraines.

“Migraine-related nausea can be as debilitating as migraine headache pain itself,” said study investigator Stephen D. Silberstein, professor of neurology at the Jefferson Headache Center in Philadelphia, said in a statement. “Treatments bypassing the GI tract may be the best way to treat these patients.”

Migraines are intense headaches often accompanied by vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound and can last for hours or even days. Health experts are not certain what causes migraines but point to various physical, mental and environmental triggers.

NuPathe scientists said that in studies of 800 migraine patients who used more than 10,000 patches, the treatment safely and effectively relieved migraine pain, migraine-related nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound within two hours.

“The approval of Zecuity represents a major milestone for NuPathe and migraine sufferers,” said Armando Anido, CEO of NuPathe, in a statement. “As the first and only FDA-approved migraine patch, we believe Zecuity will be a game-changing treatment option for millions of migraine patients, especially those with migraine-related nausea.”