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Efficacy and Safety of Switching between Anti-CGRP Monoclonal Antibodies: A Detailed Monthly and Long-term Follow-up Study and Literature Review

Oshima K, Ihara K, Watanabe N, Takemura R, Ishizuchi K, Takahashi N, Shibata M, Nakahara J et al.

Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan), 2025

Abstract

Objective Switching from one anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody (CGRP mAb) to another can be beneficial for treating patients with migraine who do not respond well to the first CGRP mAb. However, detailed and long-term follow-up reports of both efficacy and safety remain insufficient. We conducted a case-series analysis of patients with migraine who switched from galcanezumab to erenumab, both belonging to the class of CGRP mAbs. Methods We conducted a single-center retrospective real-world study. Patients with migraine who first received galcanezumab for ≥3 months and then switched to erenumab at Keio University Hospital were enrolled to investigate changes in monthly migraine days (MMD), response rate, and adverse effects (e.g., injection-site reactions). Additionally, we performed a narrative review of the literature on switching CGRP mAbs. Results Among the nine patients enrolled, the 50% response rate for MMD was 33% at 3 months after switching. Two patients (22%) initially responded at the 3-month assessment, but later reverted to baseline MMD levels. Switching from galcanezumab to erenumab increased the frequency of constipation, which was typically managed using laxatives. Participants who experienced injection-site reactions tended to exhibit similar reactions regardless of the type of CGRP mAb used. Five patients (56%) demonstrated an improvement in satisfaction after erenumab initiation at least once. A literature review revealed that the…

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