The Journey of the Non-Vascular Relief for Migraine: From ‘Triptans’ To ‘Ditans’

Migraine is a recurrent, disabling, complex and highly prevalent neurological disorder. The mystery behind the cause of migraine is continuously evolving, according to the scientific understanding of the disease. This growing understanding helps to identify novel therapeutic targets for the management of migraine to treat the ailing migraineurs. The role of serotonin (5HT) in migraine is recognized to be the cornerstone for the currently available therapeutic options namely ergot alkaloids and triptans. The role of mediators such as Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP), nitric oxide and excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, has been realized and ignited the development of drugs targeting these factors. Lasmiditan, known as a Neurally Active Anti- Migraine Agent (NAAMA) is a specific 5HT1F agonist, developed as a new group named as ‘ditans’. The drug was designed and developed to meet the unmet needs of currently available medications to circumvent the vascular adverse effects. Having a group of drugs with a nonvascular mechanism of action, devoid of unwanted effects with a different spectrum of indication and contraindications, is the need of the hour to expand the armamentarium available to tackle acute migraine attack.