Qulipta 10mg Tablets

Manufacturer ABBVIE Active Ingredient Atogepant(a TOE je pant) Pronunciation kyoo-LIP-tuh (Atogepant: a-TOE-je-pant)
It is used to prevent migraine headaches.
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Drug Class
Migraine prophylaxis
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Pharmacologic Class
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) Receptor Antagonist
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Pregnancy Category
Not available
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FDA Approved
Sep 2021
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DEA Schedule
Not Controlled

Overview

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What is this medicine?

Qulipta is a medication taken once daily by mouth to help prevent migraine headaches. It works by blocking a protein called CGRP, which is involved in causing migraine pain.
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How to Use This Medicine

Taking Your Medication

To use this medication correctly, follow your doctor's instructions and read all the information provided. Take your medication as directed, with or without food. If you're undergoing dialysis, take your medication after your dialysis treatment on the day of treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, consult your doctor.

Storing and Disposing of Your Medication

Store your medication at room temperature in a dry location, avoiding the bathroom. Keep all medications in a safe place, out of reach of children and pets. Dispose of unused or expired medications properly. Do not flush them down the toilet or pour them down the drain unless instructed to do so. If you're unsure about the best way to dispose of your medication, consult your pharmacist. You may also want to check if there are drug take-back programs available in your area.

Missing a Dose

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it's close to the time for your next scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and resume your regular dosing schedule. Do not take two doses at the same time or take extra doses to make up for the missed one.
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Lifestyle & Tips

  • Take Qulipta exactly as prescribed by your doctor, once daily, with or without food.
  • Do not stop taking Qulipta without talking to your doctor, even if you feel better.
  • Continue to identify and avoid migraine triggers (e.g., stress, certain foods, lack of sleep).
  • Maintain a regular sleep schedule, balanced diet, and engage in regular exercise.
  • Stay hydrated and limit caffeine and alcohol intake.
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Available Forms & Alternatives

Dosing & Administration

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Adult Dosing

Standard Dose: 10 mg orally once daily
Dose Range: 10 - 60 mg

Condition-Specific Dosing:

standard_dose: 10 mg, 30 mg, or 60 mg orally once daily for episodic or chronic migraine prevention.
specific_10mg_use: The 10 mg dose is one of the approved daily doses for migraine prevention.
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Pediatric Dosing

Neonatal: Not established
Infant: Not established
Child: Not established
Adolescent: Not established (Safety and effectiveness not established in pediatric patients)
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Dose Adjustments

Renal Impairment:

Mild: No dosage adjustment needed (CrCl 60-89 mL/min)
Moderate: No dosage adjustment needed (CrCl 30-59 mL/min)
Severe: Recommended dosage is 10 mg once daily (CrCl 15-29 mL/min)
Dialysis: Avoid use in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) with CrCl <15 mL/min or in patients on dialysis.

Hepatic Impairment:

Mild: No dosage adjustment needed (Child-Pugh A)
Moderate: Recommended dosage is 10 mg once daily (Child-Pugh B)
Severe: Avoid use (Child-Pugh C)

Pharmacology

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Mechanism of Action

Atogepant is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist. It works by blocking the binding of CGRP to its receptor, thereby inhibiting CGRP-mediated signaling. CGRP is a neuropeptide that plays a key role in nociceptive transmission and is implicated in the pathophysiology of migraine.
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Pharmacokinetics

Absorption:

Bioavailability: Approximately 24%
Tmax: 1-2 hours
FoodEffect: High-fat meal reduces Cmax by 22% and AUC by 9%, but not considered clinically meaningful. Can be taken with or without food.

Distribution:

Vd: 292 L (apparent volume of distribution)
ProteinBinding: Approximately 96%
CnssPenetration: Limited (low brain penetration, consistent with its peripheral mechanism of action)

Elimination:

HalfLife: Approximately 11 hours
Clearance: Not available (apparent oral clearance 19.4 L/h)
ExcretionRoute: Primarily fecal (79%), with a smaller portion renally excreted (9%)
Unchanged: Approximately 39% (fecal), 5% (renal)
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Pharmacodynamics

OnsetOfAction: Not directly applicable for preventative treatment; clinical efficacy observed over weeks.
PeakEffect: Steady-state concentrations are reached within 3-5 days with once-daily dosing.
DurationOfAction: 24 hours (due to once-daily dosing)

Safety & Warnings

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Side Effects

Serious Side Effects: Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Although rare, this medication can cause severe and potentially life-threatening side effects. If you experience any of the following symptoms, contact your doctor or seek medical help right away:
- Signs of an allergic reaction, such as rash, hives, itching, red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin (with or without fever), wheezing, tightness in the chest or throat, trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking, unusual hoarseness, or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Other Possible Side Effects
Like all medications, this drug can cause side effects. While many people may not experience any side effects or only minor ones, it's essential to discuss any concerns with your doctor. Contact your doctor or seek medical help if you experience any of the following side effects or if they bother you or do not go away:
- Upset stomach
- Constipation
- Feeling sleepy
- Feeling tired or weak

Reporting Side Effects
This list does not include all possible side effects. If you have questions or concerns about side effects, consult your doctor. For medical advice about side effects, contact your doctor. You can also report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-332-1088 or online at https://www.fda.gov/medwatch.
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Seek Immediate Medical Attention If You Experience:

  • Severe constipation or nausea that does not improve
  • Signs of liver problems (e.g., yellowing of skin or eyes, dark urine, severe stomach pain, unusual tiredness)
  • Allergic reactions (e.g., rash, hives, swelling of face/lips/tongue, difficulty breathing)
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Before Using This Medicine

Before Taking This Medication: Important Information to Share with Your Doctor

It is essential to inform your doctor about the following:

Any allergies you have, including allergies to this medication, its components, or other substances, such as foods or drugs. Be sure to describe the allergic reaction you experienced, including any symptoms that occurred.
If you have a history of kidney disease or liver disease, as these conditions may affect how your body processes this medication.

This list is not exhaustive, and it is crucial to discuss all your health concerns with your doctor. To ensure safe treatment, please disclose all the following information to your doctor and pharmacist:
A complete list of all prescription and over-the-counter medications you are taking, including natural products and vitamins.
Any health problems you are experiencing or have experienced in the past.

Before starting, stopping, or changing the dose of any medication, including this one, consult with your doctor to confirm it is safe to do so. This will help prevent potential interactions and ensure the best possible treatment outcome.
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Precautions & Cautions

It is essential to inform all your healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists, that you are taking this medication. If you regularly consume grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit, discuss this with your doctor, as it may interact with your treatment. Additionally, numerous medications can interact with this drug, so it is crucial that your doctor and pharmacist are aware of all the other medications you are taking, especially if you are using this medication to treat chronic migraine. Some medications should not be taken concurrently with this drug, and your healthcare team needs to be aware of your full medication regimen. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding, consult your doctor to discuss the potential benefits and risks of this medication to both you and your baby.
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Overdose Information

Overdose Symptoms:

  • Limited information on overdose symptoms. Based on clinical trials, adverse events were similar to those at therapeutic doses, but potentially more severe.

What to Do:

In case of overdose, contact a poison control center (1-800-222-1222) or seek emergency medical attention immediately. Provide supportive care as clinically indicated.

Drug Interactions

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Major Interactions

  • Strong CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, St. John's wort): Co-administration is contraindicated due to significant reduction in atogepant exposure, leading to loss of efficacy.
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Moderate Interactions

  • Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir): Reduce atogepant dose to 10 mg once daily.
  • Moderate CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., bosentan, efavirenz, etravirine, modafinil, nafcillin): Avoid co-administration due to potential for reduced atogepant exposure and loss of efficacy.
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Minor Interactions

  • Weak CYP3A4 inhibitors/inducers: No dosage adjustment needed.
  • OATP inhibitors (e.g., cyclosporine, quinidine): No dosage adjustment needed, but monitor for increased atogepant exposure.

Monitoring

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Routine Monitoring

Migraine frequency, intensity, and duration

Frequency: Monthly or as clinically indicated

Target: Reduction in migraine days

Action Threshold: Lack of significant improvement after 3 months may warrant re-evaluation of treatment.

Adverse effects (e.g., nausea, constipation, fatigue)

Frequency: Regularly, especially during initial treatment

Target: Tolerable

Action Threshold: Persistent or severe adverse effects may require dose adjustment or discontinuation.

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Symptom Monitoring

  • Nausea
  • Constipation
  • Fatigue
  • Somnolence
  • Weight decrease
  • Elevated liver enzymes (rare, but monitor for symptoms of liver injury)

Special Patient Groups

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Pregnancy

There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of Qulipta in pregnant women. Use during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. A pregnancy exposure registry exists for women exposed to Qulipta during pregnancy.

Trimester-Specific Risks:

First Trimester: Risk unknown. Animal studies showed no adverse developmental effects at clinically relevant exposures.
Second Trimester: Risk unknown.
Third Trimester: Risk unknown.
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Lactation

It is unknown if atogepant is excreted in human milk. Consider the developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding along with the mother’s clinical need for Qulipta and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from Qulipta or from the underlying maternal condition. Atogepant is present in the milk of lactating rats.

Infant Risk: L3 (Moderate risk - no human data, animal data suggest excretion into milk, but low oral bioavailability in humans may limit infant exposure).
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Pediatric Use

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients (under 18 years of age) have not been established.

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Geriatric Use

No overall differences in effectiveness or safety were observed between elderly patients (65 years and older) and younger adult patients. No dosage adjustment is required based on age alone.

Clinical Information

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Clinical Pearls

  • Qulipta is the first and only oral CGRP receptor antagonist approved for *both* episodic and chronic migraine prevention.
  • It can be taken with or without food, at any time of day.
  • Patients should be educated on the importance of consistent daily dosing for optimal efficacy.
  • Counsel patients on potential gastrointestinal side effects like constipation and nausea, and strategies to manage them (e.g., increased fiber, fluids).
  • Careful review of concomitant medications is crucial due to significant interactions with strong CYP3A4 inducers and inhibitors.
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Alternative Therapies

  • Beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol, metoprolol)
  • Anticonvulsants (e.g., topiramate, valproate)
  • Antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline, venlafaxine)
  • OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) for chronic migraine
  • Non-pharmacological approaches (e.g., biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture)
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Cost & Coverage

Average Cost: $1000 - $1200 per 30 tablets
Insurance Coverage: Specialty Tier (requires prior authorization, step therapy)
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General Drug Facts

If your symptoms or health issues persist or worsen, it's essential to contact your doctor for further guidance. To ensure your safety, never share your medication with others or take someone else's medication. Some medications may come with an additional patient information leaflet, so be sure to check with your pharmacist for more information. If you have any questions or concerns about your medication, don't hesitate to reach out to your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider. In the event of a suspected overdose, immediately call your local poison control center or seek medical attention. When seeking help, be prepared to provide details about the medication taken, the amount, and the time it happened.