Fremanezumab for Migraine Prevention in Japanese Elderly Aged Over 70 Years Old

Background Elderly migraine is a public health problem with prolonged life expectancy, and effective prophylactic treatment is needed. There were no reports on fremanezumab for the elderly. We described the real-world data of fremanezumab, calcitonin gene-related peptide-related monoclonal antibody (CGRP-mAB), for migraine in elderly over 70 years old. Methods We retrospectively investigated six elderly migraine patients over 70 years old treated with fremanezumab. Headache impact test-6 (HIT-6), monthly headache days (MHD), and monthly acute medication intake days (AMD) before one and three months after starting fremanezumab treatment were evaluated. Results Three women and three men (median age 78; range: 71-99) were included. One was chronic migraine (CM), three were CM and medication-overuse headache, and two were episodic migraine and tension-type headache. All six patients received monthly fremanezumab. The median MHD before, during one, and three months after treatment were 30 (4-30), 30 (4-30), and 29 (15-30, n=4). Those of AMD were 17 (0-30), 9.5 (0-30), and 1 (0-28). Those about HIT-6 were 64 (56-72), 59.5 (52-70), and 55.5 (48-64). Two (33.3%) of the six patients experienced therapeutic effectiveness. There were no side effects. Conclusion We described the six elderly migraine patients aged over 70 years old treated with fremanezumab. Two (33.3%) of the six patients experienced therapeutic effectiveness. This is the first report of fremanezumab for elderly migraine patients aged over 70 years old. Further evidence accumulation is needed about CGRP-mABs for the elderly.