Patient reported outcomes and the real-world use of calcitonin gene-related peptide medications in migraine.

Objective: To assess patient reported outcomes of patients with migraine receiving preventative medications, and to compare patient reported outcomes and unplanned care of patients on calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibitors (CGRPi) with those on other preventative medications.

Background: Patient reported outcome measures can be useful in conditions such as migraine with frequent disability. CGRPi are newer migraine preventative medications that can improve patients' quality of life.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) data combined with administrative claims data from a large regional health plan for adult patients (≥18 years) with migraine who were on preventative medications from January 2019 to March 2022. PROMIS scores of patients on CGRPi were compared to scores of patients who switched from other preventative medications to CGRPi (pre vs. post), between patients adherent to CGRPi versus non-adherent, and changes in all-cause/migraine-related unplanned care (emergency department) use by the CGRPi cohort.

Results: There were 1245 patients on other preventative medications (antiseizure [532/1245 (43%)], antidepressants [316/1245 (25%)], and beta-blockers [397/1245 (32%)]), 148 who were on CGRPi, and 112 who had switched from other preventative medications to CGRPi. The mean age was 44 years old, 88% were females, 50% were married, and 75% were on commercial insurance. Patients with migraine had higher T-scores in pain, fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disturbance than the general population. Patients on CGRPi had a statistically significant reduction in pain T-scores (60.4 [standard deviation (SD) 7.4] to 58.4 [SD 8.2], p = 0.003) post initiation of medications, especially those who switched from other preventative medications to CGRPi (61.4 [SD 6.9] to 58.7 [SD 8.3], p < 0.001). The pain T-score reduction occurred only among the adherent group. There was a lower proportion of patients with all-cause unplanned care among patients on CGRPi (43% [64/148] to 32% [47/148], p < 0.001), but the reduction in migraine-related unplanned care was not statistically significant (9% [14/148] to 6% [9/148], p = 0.197).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patients had an improvement in pain reduction scores after initiating CGRPi. PROMIS scores could provide important information about quality-of-life improvement for prescribers.