Tonix Pharmaceuticals Launches Campaign to Promote OTC Medicines for Gastroparesis, Migraine
At this year’s PAINWeek National Conference, held September 3-6 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tonix Pharmaceuticals announced the launch of its new educational campaign, “Does Your Migraine Pill Work?” Every Time?” Aimed at patients and health care providers, the campaign highlights the benefits of non-oral migraine treatments, such as nasal and injection options, for people with gastroparesis, according to a news release from the company.1
Comparison of gastroparesis awareness generated by AI / Hakim – stock.adobe.com
Gastroparesis is a condition in which the muscles of the stomach work slowly, preventing the passage of food into the small intestine. Research in the past 4 decades has shown a link between gastroparesis and migraine; Symptoms of gastroparesis, which include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, are common before, during, and between migraine attacks.1
Important information
- Tonix Pharmaceuticals has launched a new educational campaign aimed at empowering patients with knowledge about gastroparesis and migraine and promoting alternative treatments.
- Many people with migraines also have gastroparesis, which can worsen their symptoms and interfere with the effectiveness of oral migraine medications.
- Due to the slow or incomplete absorption of oral medications in patients with gastroparesis, non-oral options such as nasal sprays and injections may provide faster and more effective relief. migraine symptoms.
Gastroparesis interferes with the absorption of nutrients and medications. When it comes to oral migraine medications, this ineffectiveness can result in delayed, incomplete, or no relief of migraine symptoms.1 With its campaign, Tonix Pharmaceuticals wants to deal with this by promoting other treatment methods that go beyond the intestinal system.
“Non-oral migraine medications, such as injections and nasal sprays, do not depend on the digestive system and can provide rapid relief of migraine symptoms in less than 10 minutes,” said Debora I. Friedman, MD. , MPH, FAHS, a board-certified neuro-ophthalmologist, ophthalmologist, and founding director of the headache and facial pain program and cerebrospinal fluid dynamics program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in a release.1 There are several options for nasal and injectable treatment, and I encourage patients to talk to their doctor about adding an oral medication to their treatment plan.
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A previous study examined the relationship between migraine and gastroparesis by comparing abortion rates in people with migraine and aura to a control group. The study found that 78% and 80% of 10 people with migraine with aura met criteria for gastroparesis during and between migraine attacks, respectively. In addition, those with migraine took more than an hour to empty their stomach compared to the control group (188.8 vs 111.8 minutes).2
Other studies have examined non-pharmacological treatment options for the condition. Another study published in Current Affairs in Neurology and Neurosciences focuses on the treatment of the vagus nerve, which shows the similarities between gastroparesis and migraine that can be successfully approached.3
“Gastric dysmotility in the setting of migraine may affect the intake of oral migraine medications and other methods should be considered in some patients,” wrote the researchers.3 “Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation has been cleared by the FDA for the treatment of migraine and is being studied in gastroparesis. Dysfunction of the vagus nerve is a key component in the pathophysiology of gut motility and migraine, which makes neurodegenerative therapies interesting for future research.
Although various health conditions can contribute to gastroparesis, in about 40% of cases, the main cause is still unknown, a condition called idiopathic gastroparesis.4 For the remaining cases where a cause can be identified, diabetes accounts for about 30%, and other possible causes include viral infections, certain medications, surgery, autoimmune gastrointestinal diseases and neurological conditions.
Tonix Pharmaceuticals’ new campaign empowers patients with gastroparesis and migraine with knowledge of their symptoms and conditions. This knowledge can help patients provide health care professionals with important information to find more treatment options.
Alongside the campaign, Tonix will launch a new disease education website for patients who want to learn more about gastroparesis and migraine and why their oral medications are not working.
“Migraine often requires patient self-advocacy to create an effective migraine treatment plan. Empowering patients to understand why they have slow or inconsistent relief from oral medications and to be Educating about alternative migraine treatments can ultimately improve their migraine symptom management and ultimately improve their quality of life,” said Shoshana Lipson, executive director of Migraine Meanderings. Hope for Migraine, in the same issue.1
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References
1. Tonix Pharmaceuticals is launching a national awareness campaign on the impact of gastroparesis or stomach paralysis with the introduction of oral migraine medication PAINWeek. News release. Tonix Pharmaceuticals. September 6, 2024. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://ir.tonixpharma.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1514/tonix-pharmaceuticals-launches-national-awareness-campaign
2. Aurora SK, Kori SH, Barrodale P, McDonald SA, Haseley D. Gastric stasis in migraine: more than just a paroxysmal abnormality during a migraine attack. Headache. 2006;46(1):57-63. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00311.x
3. Arca KN, Cai J, Wang F, Kassim G, Hasler WL, Batheja MJ. Migraine and Gastroparesis. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2022;22(12):813-821. doi:10.1007/s11910-022-01241-3
4. Gastroparesis. Scoreboard. Yale Medicine. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/gastroparesis#:~:text=Gastroparesis%20is%20often%20caused%20by,mpe%20to%20the%20small%20inestine
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