The global migraine drugs market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 9% during the forecast period. The market growth is attributed to the rising incidences of migraines, extreme exposure to screens and stressed lifestyle, presence of robust pipeline, and increasing R&D expenditures. Further, the development of novel drugs and the approvals by the US FDA is expected to provide growth opportunities to the market in the near future. Migraine is a neurological disease with extremely incapacitating neurological symptoms. As per the Migraine Research Foundation in 2019, migraine is the 6th most disabling illness across the globe. 

Migraine attacks are caused due to various disabling symptoms including visual disturbances, dizziness, nausea, and others. Every 10 seconds, someone in the US goes to the emergency room complaining of headaches, and around 1.2 million visits are for acute migraine attacks. Most sufferers experience migraine attacks once or twice a month, more than 4 million people have a chronic daily migraine, with at least 15 migraine days per month. The migraine patients use 2.5 times the amount of prescription drugs and have six times as many diagnostic tests and services. Thus, the increasing prevalence of migraine increases the demand for more and more therapeutics for getting relief, which in turn, drives the overall market.

Segmental Outlook

The global migraine drugs market is segmented on the basis of treatment type and route of administration. Based on the treatment type, the market is segmented into acute migraine treatment and preventive migraine treatment. Acute treatment comprises various therapeutic classes including triptans, NSAIDs, ergot alkaloids, and other non-specific drugs prescribed over-the-counter (OTC) such as acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen. Based on the route of administration, the market is segmented into oral administration, injectable administration, and other administrations such as spray.

Global Migraine Drugs Market by Route of Administration, 2018 (%)

Oral Route of Administration to Hold Considerable Share in the Global Migraine Drugs Market

Amongst the route of administration, the oral segment is expected to hold a significant share in the market. Oral route of administration is one of the easiest, common and inexpensive ways of drug administration, as well as is safer and inexpensive. It possesses several advantages over other routes of drug administration, for instance, it is easy to take as it can be taken by the patient itself without the assistance of any other person. In addition, chances of improper doses are near to nil in oral drug administration. The oral medication can be provided to any age group including infants, children, adults and old age people. However, some factors hinder the market growth, for instance,  the time taken for the drug to react is comparatively high. So, at the time of emergency, generally, this route is not preferred by physicians, which may limit the growth of the market. 

Regional Outlook

The global migraine drugs market is geographically segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Rest of the World. North America is expected to hold a significant share in the market. The regional growth is accredited to the presence of the key market players such as Eli Lilly & Co., Johnson & Johnson, Amgen Inc., and Pfizer Inc., among others. Further, according to the Migraine Research Foundation, 1 in 4 persons suffers from migraines, that is, overall, 12% of the US population is suffering from migraines. This creates the demand for migraine drugs and hence drive the growth of the global market.

Global Migraine Drugs Market, by Region 2018 (%)

In addition, various funding for migraine research is also positively affecting the growth of the market. For instance, in 2017, NIH funding for migraine research was about $.50 per sufferer. Additionally, there is the Migraine Research Foundation that is centered on migraine-related researches and addresses the lack of funding. 

Market Players Outlook

Some of the prominent players operating in the global migraine drugs market include Allergan Plc, Amgen Inc., Eli Lilly & Co., Novartis International AG, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. Inc., and Pfizer Inc., among others. The migraine drug manufacturers are adopting various strategies such as new product launches and approvals, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and collaborations, and many others in order to thrive in a competitive environment. Some of the commonly used migraine drugs are Allergan's Ubrogepant and Eli Lilly's Lasmiditan are the migraine drugs based on the advanced mechanism of action.

In December 2019, the FDA approved a pill from Allergan for the treatment of migraine in adults. The treatment, ubrogepant (Ubrelvy), is part of a new class of migraine medicines designed to block calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a protein thought to play a role in pain transmission. Ubrogepant is the first CGRP drug in tablet form to get the FDA’s nod.

The Report Covers

• Market value data analysis of 2018 and forecast to 2025.
• Annualized market revenues ($ million) for each market segment.
• Country-wise analysis of major geographical regions.
• Key companies operating in the global migraine drugs market. Based on the availability of data, information related to pipeline products, and relevant news is also available in the report.
• Analysis of business strategies by identifying the key market segments positioned for strong growth in the future.
• Analysis of market-entry and market expansion strategies.
• Competitive strategies by identifying ‘who-stands-where’ in the market.