Rimegepant Has a Longer Half-Life Than Ubrogepant
Rimegepant has a terminal half-life of 8-12 hours, which is longer than ubrogepant's half-life of approximately 5-7 hours, making rimegepant the agent with the longer duration of action. 1
Pharmacokinetic Comparison
Rimegepant
- Terminal half-life ranges from 8-12 hours across single doses from 25-1500 mg 1
- Rapidly absorbed with median time to maximum plasma concentration of 1-3.5 hours 1
- The longer half-life may provide sustained therapeutic effect and potentially reduce headache recurrence 1
Ubrogepant
- While the provided evidence does not contain specific pharmacokinetic data for ubrogepant, published literature indicates its half-life is approximately 5-7 hours (shorter than rimegepant)
- Both agents are CGRP receptor antagonists with similar mechanisms of action but different pharmacokinetic profiles 2
Clinical Implications
Dosing Considerations
- Rimegepant's longer half-life supports both acute treatment (as needed dosing) and preventive treatment (every other day dosing) 3
- The extended half-life may contribute to rimegepant's dual indication for both acute and preventive migraine therapy 3
Safety Profile
- Both gepants have demonstrated no hepatotoxicity in long-term studies, distinguishing them from first-generation CGRP antagonists 2
- Rimegepant showed no cardiovascular toxicity and has no vasoconstrictive properties 3
- Long-term safety data for rimegepant extends up to 52 weeks with favorable tolerability 4