The Scripps Research Institute was awarded a $4.5 million federal grant to study a possible drug to fight migraines, the La Jolla-based life sciences organization announced Sept. 3.
The funding from the National Institutes of Health will allow researchers to conduct pre-clinical studies of a compound that targets proteins involved with the body’s stress mechanisms.
If successful, the drug would treat stress-related migraines and could be developed as a once-a-day pill that prevents migraine onset rather than just relieving symptoms.
“Migraine is the world’s most common neurological disorder, and the number one trigger for migraine is stress,” said Scripps Prof. Ed Roberts, who will direct the project with colleague Hugh Rosen, another professor at the institute.
The University of Arizona is also involved in the project.