To this very common pain, a remedy that is much less so.
Headache is one of the most common ailments, since half of the world's population suffers from it every year.
According to figures published Tuesday by The Journal of Headache And Pain, 26% would describe a tension headache, 14%, a migraine and 4.6%, recurring headaches at least 15 days a month…
Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), who compiled data from 357 studies published between 1961 and 2020, estimate that, every day, 15.8% of humanity suffers from it.
That's almost one person in six!
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Comment lutter contre ce fléau ? Pour le mal de crâne passager, un comprimé d’aspirine, d’acétaminophène ou d’ibuprofène suffit généralement à faire passer la douleur. Quand la gêne devient chronique et vite insupportable car très répétitive, on parle alors d’une migraine qui vient souvent handicaper le quotidien de celles et ceux qui en souffrent. Des médicaments, baptisés triptans, spécialement conçus pour « casser » les crises migraineuses, viennent alors à la rescousse mais ces molécules qui réduisent la dilatation et l’inflammation des vaisseaux sanguins à l’origine des douleurs, ne peuvent pas être administrées aux patients souffrant déjà de problèmes vasculaires.
300 euros l’injection
All the hopes of migraine sufferers, whose holy grail is first to prevent the onset of attacks rather than to treat them once the evil has appeared, are now focused on a new preventive treatment administered by subcutaneous injection.
The Emgality, that's its name, manufactured by the Eli Lilly laboratory, has been used successfully for several years in Australia, the United States, or even in Belgium, Germany or Spain.
Available in France for a few months, it uses antibodies with the ability to block the protein responsible for pain.
Its effectiveness remains to be improved since only a third of migraine sufferers respond favorably to its effects and are rid of any onset of crisis.
But, that's the problem, the Emgality is not reimbursed by health insurance.
At around 300 euros per injection every 28 days, very few patients can afford it.
