Zolmitriptan nasal spray: advances in migraine treatment.

Zolmitriptan nasal spray was developed specifically to achieve fast, high effectiveness and to overcome many of the limitations associated with oral and sc migraine therapies. Pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated a very rapid appearance of zolmitriptan in plasma as early as 5 minutes after intranasal dosing, with about 40% of peak plasma concentration (C max ) being achieved within 10 to 15 minutes of dosing. Comparison of plasma concentration-time profiles of zolmitriptan and its active metabolite after oral and intranasal administration, together with PET scanning, clearly indicate direct absorption of zolmitriptan across the nasal mucosa after intranasal administration. The remainder of the dose is then swallowed and is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. In one blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, multiple-attack study of zolmitriptan nasal spray, headache response was superior to placebo as early as 15 minutes after dosing ( p p p