New treatments might provide hope and relief for migraine sufferers, according two new studies. The studies, which were released on April 22, are going to be presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology’s 66^th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.

The studies focused on drugs that work by preventing migraines from happening, rather than trying to stop the attacks after they have already started. The studies are the first of their kind to test monoclonal antibodies for migraine prevention. In addition, the studies target the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a new target in migraine prevention. Although CGRP has been thought of as crucial in migraines, no drug has previously been developed to target the protein specifically.

The studies are currently in phase two, and require larger studies to confirm the previous results.

In one study, 163 people were involved, all of whom had a migraine from five to 14 days each month. The participants were given a placebo or one IV dose of a drug called ALD403, then monitored for 24 days.

Patients who received the drug had an average of 5.6 less migraines each month, a 66 percent decrease. Those who received a placebo had an average of 4.6 less days each month, a 52 percent decrease. At 12 weeks, 16 percent who had taken the drug were free of migraines, but none of the participants who had received the placebo were free from their migraines at that time.

Peter Goadsby, MD, PhD, of the UC San Francisco and American Academy of Neurology member, and author on both studies, said in the official press release, “These results may potentially represent a new era in preventive therapy for migraine.”

Dr. David Dodick, Mayo Clinic Arizona in Phoenix, author of both studies and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, also said in the release, “There is a huge treatment need for migraine – the third most common and seventh most disabling medical disorder in the world.”