Two clinical trials have showed that a new approach under investigation by King’s College of London might cut the number and severity of  migraines attacks.
The treatment as explained by the researchers, is the first specifically designed for preventing migraine and uses antibodies to alter the activity of chemicals in the brain.

In the reasearch has been shown that calcitonin gene-related peptide or CGRP  is involved in both pain and sensitivity to sound and light in migraine.
So far 4 pharma companies are developing  antibodies that  could neutralise CGRP. 
Among these there are Amgen and Novartis codevelopers of erenumab and funding the Phase III STRIVE study. 
Erenumab  is the first and only fully human monoclonal antibody of its kind designed to specifically prevent migraine. It works by blocking the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor.
STRIVE is the first fully reported Phase III study of the CGRP pathway monoclonal antibodies, and it clearly shows that blocking this pathway can reduce the impact of migraine,’ said Peter Goadsby, Director, NIHR-Wellcome Trust King’s Clinical Research Facility and Professor of Neurology at King’s College London. ‘The results of STRIVE represent a real transition for migraine patients from poorly understood, repurposed treatments, to a specific migraine-designed therapy. STRIVE, as with the monoclonal antibody developments generally, represents an incredibly important step forward for migraine understanding and migraine treatment.’

Teva is also studying an antibody the fremanezumab.

This clinical trial have showed that about 41% of patients halved their number of migraine days compared with 18% without treatment.

Both studies say long-term safety data still needs to be studied.

One negative aspect of all this research is the cost, as antibodies tend to be more expensive to make than other therapies.

Read further: BBC