Allergan's New Data Suggests Misperceptions May Lead Chronic Migraine To Be Undertreated In Men

Allergen plc

presented fresh data at the American Headache Society (AHS) annual scientific meeting. The data suggested the differences among the way men and women react to migraines indicating the underlying disparities in headache characteristics and progression. Allergen said that the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study longitudinally explored the reaons and burden of Chronic Migraine and Episodic Migraine, both part of the spectrum of migraine disorders but distinct clinical entities. The company added that Chronic Migraine is a neurological condition characterized by 15 or more headache days per month, with headaches lasting four hours a day or longer, and at least eight of those headache days being associated with migraine, while Episodic Migraine is defined as less than 15 headache days per month. The European firm said that migraine is one of the most common neurologic disorders in both men and women, but its misperception as a "women's disease" may contribute to migraine stigma in men. The company said that its web-based-study of 16,789 men and women with migraine assessed differences in sociodemographics, headache symptomology, disability, diagnosis, and treatment. Vice Chair of Neurology, Richard Lipton, commented, "Despite gender differences in attack features, these conditions are disabling in men. Chronic Migraine, in particular, has been found to impact daily life inside and outside the home. Men need to know that there are treatments available and it's okay to ask for help." The stock traded 1.78 percent down on Friday's regular trading.