Eli Lilly’s migraine prevention drug Emgality not superior to Pfizer’s Nurtec ODT in head-to-head

In a head-to-head clinical trial, Eli Lilly’s injectable migraine drug Emgality was not superior to the Nurtec ODT tablets out of Pfizer on a primary measure of percent of patients reaching 50% or better reduction in monthly migraine headache days.

The response rates were similar, Lilly said in a Friday afternoon press release. The Indianapolis Big Pharma said its monoclonal antibody, first approved in the fall of 2018, was “numerically better” than Nurtec ODT on “key secondary endpoints.” Lilly did not disclose any more data and said it will present full results later this year.

Described as the first head-to-head trial of its kind, CHALLENGE-MIG included 580 patients who received four injections of Emgality or 45 doses of Nurtec ODT at the FDA-approved doses. Placebo was also used as part of the double-blind, three-month study, which began in December 2021. Lilly said there were no new safety findings to report.

Anne White

While the company has not disclosed specific data yet, Lilly touted 3-month efficacy and safety being “consistent” with the 6-month data already collected on the drug. The drug brought in $154 million in the first quarter of this year.

“These results bolster our knowledge of Emgality’s ability to work quickly and help patients improve their quality of life with less frequent dosing,” Lilly’s president of neuroscience, Anne White, said in the release.

Emgality and Nurtec ODT are part of a wave of migraine meds approved in the past decade, with Amgen’s Aimovig, Teva’s Ajovy, AbbVie’s Ubrelvy and others coming to market, as well. Teva and Lilly went through the courts on patent infringement allegations from the former, with a jury verdict last fall. Lilly also markets the migraine med Reyvow.

Meanwhile, Lady Gaga and Pfizer partnered for an ad campaign on Nurtec earlier this week, after the pharma giant acquired it from Biohaven in a multi-billion dollar deal last year.

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