The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved zavegepant, a new nasal spray for treatment of migraines in adults, Pfizer announced Friday.

Patients who took the drug, which the drugmaker will market under the brand name Zavzpret, reported pain relief in as little as 15 minutes in a Phase 3 study, Pfizer said in a news release.

Zavegepant also was superior to placebo at providing freedom from pain at two hours after a dose. It is the first calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist nasal spray for migraines, the company said.

"When a migraine hits, it has a significant negative impact on a person's daily life," Kathleen Mullin, associate medical director at New England Institute for Neurology & Headache, said in a news release. "Among my migraine patients, one of the most important attributes of an acute treatment option is how quickly it works."

Zavegepant is expected to be available to consumers by prescription in July.

The drug was well-tolerated in trials. Common side effects include taste disorders, nausea, nasal discomfort and vomiting, Pfizer said.

A Phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, trial published in The Lancet Neurology found that two hours after treatment, 24% of patients who took 10 milligramsof zavegepant had pain freedom compared with 15% in the placebo group.

Forty percent reported freedom from their most bothersome symptom, compared with 31% in the placebo group.

Migraines affect about 39 million people in the United States and more than a billion people globally, interfering with work, school and social activities for 90% of those affected, according to the American Migraine Foundation.

Migraines can cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and sensory disturbances called aura, which can include flashes of light, blind spots and tingling sensations.

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