Andrew F. Russo, Eric A. Kaiser
Therapeutic targeting of the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a bench-to-bedside success story that has established migraine as a treatable neurological disorder. There are now eight monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule receptor antagonists approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine. This review focuses on evolving real-world data for these inhibitors of CGRP activity. While the drugs have been remarkably safe so far, some adverse effects are arising. To conclude, we speculate on the emerging use of CGRP inhibitors for other disorders and what lies on the horizon for combinatorial and neuropeptide-based treatments inspired by the CGRP story.