Botox gets the FDA OK for migraine headaches
Posted Monday, October 18, 2010
After years of anecdotal evidence from patients, off-label usage, and landmark studies, the FDA has approved Botox for the treatment of chronic migraine headaches.
Allergan has been given the green light to begin marketing their wrinkle-relaxing injectable as an option for people who suffer from debilitating migraines at least 15 days each month. It is not intended for those who suffer from few-and-far-between migraines.
The decision came after two major studies involving over 1,000 patients, some of whom received Botox injections while others received a placebo injection. Those who received the Botox injections reported two fewer “headache days” per month than the other patients.
This isn’t the first non-cosmetic FDA approval Botox has received in 2010. Earlier this year, it was cleared for the treatment of elbow, wrist and finger spasms.
