( treatment effect of MK-0974 for each m...)Merck's Investigational Migraine Treatment MK-0974 Significantly,Improved Migraine Pain on Several Efficacy Measures in a Phase II,Study,Health

-- two-hour pain freedom (reduction to no pain): 45.2 percent for 300 mg, 24.3 percent for 400 mg and 32.1 percent for 600 mg of MK-0974 respectively; 33.4 percent for rizatriptan and 14.3 percent for placebo;

-- 24-hour sustained pain-relief (defined as those with pain relief at two hours with no recurrence of headache and no use of optional second dose or rescue medication during the 2-24 hour period): 52.6 percent for 300 mg, 37.8 percent for 400 mg, 52.5 percent for 600 mg of MK-0974 respectively; 35.3 percent for rizatriptan and 23.5 percent for placebo; and

-- 24-hour sustained pain-freedom (defined as those with no pain at two hours who remain free of pain during the 2-24 hour period with no use of optional second dose or rescue medication): 39.6 percent for 300 mg, 22.0 percent for 400 mg, 32.0 percent for 600 mg of MK-0974 respectively; 18.4 percent for rizatriptan and 11.0 percent for placebo.

In addition to the measure of migraine pain, MK-0974 provided relief of migraine-associated symptoms, including nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, and improved functional disability two hours post dose, as well as reduced patients' need for rescue medication. However, the study was not powered to evaluate a statistical response to these measures.

In the study, treatment with MK-0974 was generally well tolerated with no reports of serious adverse events. The most common adverse experiences occurring in patients treated with MK-0974 were nausea, dizziness and somnolence. There also were no increases in adverse events associated with increasing doses studied.

"These results provide additional evidence of the potential benefit of CGRP receptor antagonists as a new and promising class of migraine therapies," said Alan Rapoport, M.D., clinical professor of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los
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