A double-blind study of SB-220453 (Tonerbasat) in the glyceryltrinitrate (GTN) model of migraine

The need for experimental migraine models increases as therapeutic options widen. In the present study, we investigated SB-220453 for efficacy in the glyceryltrinitrate (GTN) human experimental migraine model. SB-220453 is a novel benzopyran compound, which in animal models inhibits neurogenic inflammation, blocks propagation of spreading depression and inhibits trigeminal nerve ganglion stimulation-induced carotid vasodilatation. We included 15 patients with migraine without aura in a randomized double-blind crossover study. SB-220453 40 mg or placebo was followed by a 20-min GTN infusion. Headache, scored 0-10, was registered for 12 h, and fulfillment of International Headache Society (IHS) criteria was recorded until 24 h. Four subjects had a hypotensive episode after SB-220453 plus GTN but none after GTN alone. The reaction was unexpected, since animal models and previous human studies had shown no vascular or sympaticolytic activity with SB-220453. The study was terminated prematurely due to this interaction. GTN was consistent in producing headache and migraine that resembled the patients' usual spontaneous migraine. Nine patients had GTN on both study days. Peak headache score showed a trend towards reduction after SB-220453 compared with placebo (median 4 vs. 7, P = 0.15). However, no reduction was seen in the number of subjects experiencing delayed headache (8 vs. 8), number of subjects reporting migraine (6 vs. 8), migraine attacks fulfilling IHS criteria 1.1 or 1.7 (6 vs. 7) or IHS 1.1 alone (4 vs. 5). SB-220453 had no significant pre-emptive anti-migraine activity compared with placebo in this human model of migraine. Interaction between SB-220453 and GTN was discovered. This is important for the future development of the compound and underlines the usefulness of experimental migraine models.