Treating Episodic Migraine in Children and Adolescents with Fremanezumab
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Reviewed & Translated by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
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Posted on February 4th, 2026
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Recent epidemiological studies have found that 1 in 10 children and adolescents experience episodic migraine. This disorder detrimentally impacted the life and wellbeing of the affected children. Current treatment for children had limited efficacy and severe side effects; thus, a study was conducted, with funding from Teva Pharmaceuticals, to assess the usage of fremanezumab, an approved medication for adults, to manage migraine in children.
The clinical study included 235 children with an average age of 13 years old. These participants had been living with migraine for an average of 4.4 years, and experienced around 7 to 8 episodes per month. The participants were randomly assigned to be treated subcutaneously with either placebo or fremanezumab. The experimental agent was given at a dose of either 120 mg for children below 45 kilograms and 225 mg for heavier children. Fremanezumab is an antibody that specifically targets the calcitonin gene-related peptides, which is a protein that causes the vasodilation underlying the headache of migraine.
After 3 months of treatment, the researchers found that patients treated with fremanezumab experienced a reduction of 2.5 episodes per month, significantly more than the 1.4 episode reduction reported in the placebo group. Additionally, there was a significant reduction in the severity in patients treated with fremanezumab. In terms of treatment safety, there was no significant difference in side effects between the two groups. The author noted that the absence of major adverse events is encouraging, as current treatments approved for children such as topiramate, propranolol, and amitriptyline are less well tolerated.
The clinical study included 235 children with an average age of 13 years old. These participants had been living with migraine for an average of 4.4 years, and experienced around 7 to 8 episodes per month. The participants were randomly assigned to be treated subcutaneously with either placebo or fremanezumab. The experimental agent was given at a dose of either 120 mg for children below 45 kilograms and 225 mg for heavier children. Fremanezumab is an antibody that specifically targets the calcitonin gene-related peptides, which is a protein that causes the vasodilation underlying the headache of migraine.
After 3 months of treatment, the researchers found that patients treated with fremanezumab experienced a reduction of 2.5 episodes per month, significantly more than the 1.4 episode reduction reported in the placebo group. Additionally, there was a significant reduction in the severity in patients treated with fremanezumab. In terms of treatment safety, there was no significant difference in side effects between the two groups. The author noted that the absence of major adverse events is encouraging, as current treatments approved for children such as topiramate, propranolol, and amitriptyline are less well tolerated.