Almotriptan in the acute treatment of migraine in patients 11–17 years old: an open–label pilot study of efficacy and safety

The objective was to investigate the safety and efficacy of almotriptan in patients aged 11–17 years old with acute migraine. Fifteen patients aged 11–17 with a history of migraine with or without aura were treated with almotriptan. Reduction in headache severity, disability and adverse effects were studied. Almotriptan in doses ranging from 6.25 to 12.5 mg was well tolerated. There were virtually no adverse effects except for one case of transient mild stiffness. Of the 15 patients, only 2 demonstrated no efficacy without adverse effects. In the other 13 patients, not only was almotriptan effective, but again, no significant adverse effects were reported. Almotriptan is probably safe and effective in patients aged 11–17. This small open–label pilot study should support the feasibility of a large randomised controlled study to demonstrate tolerability and efficacy of almotriptan in children and adolescents with episodic migraine.