Eli Lilly and Co said on Friday its experimental treatment met the main goal of reducing the number of monthly migraine headache days compared to a placebo in three late-stage studies.
Galcanezumab, which targets a protein associated with pain signaling called CGRP, was being tested in patients with episodic migraine and chronic migraine in two doses.
Lilly said it would submit a marketing application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the drug in the second half of 2017.
About 40 million Americans suffer from migraines, and the disease costs the United States roughly $36 billion annually in terms of healthcare and lost productivity, according to the Migraine Research Foundation.
Lilly is also evaluating the drug for the treatment of cluster headache, with late-stage study results expected in 2018.
- Reuters