ICER Takes U-Turn in Cost-Benefit Assessment for Two Migraine Drugs

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has gone back on its initial value assessment for two of three acute migraine treatments, finding after a second look that the drugs may be cost-effective after all.

Following a reappraisal of clinical evidence provided by Allergan, ICER noted that it saw an additional benefit that “supports a near doubling” of the institute’s health-benefit pricing benchmark for the drugmaker’s active migraine drug Ubrelvy (ubrogepant). The increased benefit is also probably applicable to Biohaven’s rimegepant, said ICER’s Chief Medical Officer David Rind.

The watchdog determined a price benchmark of $4,200 to $4,600 per year for both ubrogepant and rimegepant — slightly lower than ubrogepant’s $4,896 annual list price. Rimepegant’s price has not been set because it has not yet received FDA approval.