Safety trial with the 5HT1B/1D agonist avitriptan (BMS-180048) in patients with migraine who have experienced pressure, tightness, and/or pain in the chest, neck, and/or throat following sumatriptan

We investigate whether symptoms of pressure, tightness, and/or pain in the chest, neck, and/or throat after administration of the 5HT_1B/1D agonist avitriptan were associated with objective impairment of the myocardial function on 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), continuous ECG (Holter) monitoring, and echocardiography. Migraine sufferers who in two-thirds of alt attacks treated with sumatriptan had experienced chest/throat/neck symptoms were chosen for study. Baseline measures included vital signs, a 12-lead ECG and an echocardiogram. Patients ( n =51) who had no clinically significant abnormality at baseline received a high dose (150 mg) of avitriptan orally outside of a migraine attack. If pressure, tightness, and/or pain in the chest, neck, and/or throat occurred, an ECG was obtained, and a repeat echocardiogram was done while the symptoms were present in order to monitor for impairment of myocardial function. If symptoms of these types did not occur within 60 min after administration of the study drug, a second echocardiogram was obtained. Forty-five patients (88%) reported at least one adverse event and 23 (45%) experienced pressure, tightness, and/or pain in the chest, neck, and/or throat after administration of avitriptan. No clinically significant myocardial abnormalities were observed in any patient, even in those who had experienced the targeted symptoms. No other serious adverse event occurred. We concluded that the typical 5HT_1B/1D agonist-induced chest/throat/neck symptoms are most unlikely to be of cardiovascular origin.