Frova® (frovatriptan) information

Frovatriptan ( Frova®)  is a unique triptan (UCB-Pharma) with an extended half life of 26 hours. Possible uses for this triptan are:

(1) A regular triptan
(2) Slow onset migraine
(3) Menstrual migraine

Use: We have had modest success using it as a regular triptan.  Some patients have reported, remarkably, that after trying all other triptans, Frova is the one that works for them. It does have a slower onset of action in most persons and therefore probably would have less efficacy in migraine that rapidly builds up, e.g. within an hour or two.

If the migraine is of slow onset, building up over the day, and the patient can tell that by afternoon they will have a migraine attack, then Frova might be the ideal agent, other triptans peaking in an hour or two and then not aborting the headache that begins hours later.  A late day headache with a prodrome in the morning  would be one form of predictable headache that would respond to Frova. See theoretical course of headache build-up below and timing of Frova dose.

Another niche that fits Frova's possible uses is in Menstrual migraine.  In a patient with either a menstrually associated migraine ( only with menses ) or in a patient with migraine with other times but also at menses, Frova may be very effective.  When the headache is quite predicable, e.g. on the 2nd days of menses, patients would take this triptan on just that day.  On the other hand, what a number of physicians are doing, even though it is "Off Label" is to recommend to the patient that she take daily Frova for 6-9 days around her period and thus, hopefully block any menstrually related headache.  This strategy has proven useful in a number of my patients. See diagram below: XX''s marking days of menses and white circles, days of Frova dosing.

Links

Magnum
About.com


Return to New Treatment Section