Migraine Million Campaign This Mother's Day

May 10th is Mother's Day. It's also the launch day of the National Headache Foundation’s Migraine Million campaign. This campaign is to:

...raise awareness about the genetic link associated with migraine and encourage people to talk to their moms during the holiday to uncover potential clues about their own headaches and ultimately get the care they need.

The Migraine Million campaign is asking for a $1 (or more) donation to show the woman/women (mom, sister, friend, etc.) in your life you care about her and her well being and you take her Headaches and Migraines seriously. In return for letting this person know she's "one in a million", you'll receive a card to email or download so that you can let her know you've made a donation in her honor.

Migraine Disease is genetic. The National Headache Foundation says if you have a relative with Migraine you have a 20% chance of having it too. If you have one parent with Migraine you have a 50% chance of having these attacks and if both your parents have Migraine, then you have a 75% of having them.

For more information click HERE.
To make a donation click HERE.

Generic Migraine Medication Approved by FDA

FDA Approves First Generic Divalproex Sodium to Treat Seizures, Migraine Headaches and Bipolar Disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Depakote delayed-release tablets (divalproex sodium). Depakote is approved by the FDA for the treatment of seizures, bipolar disorder and migraine headaches.



"Generic drugs undergo a rigorous scientific review to ensure that they will provide the patient with the same amount of high quality, safe and effective drug as the name brand product," said Gary J. Buehler, director of the FDA's Office of Generic Drugs. "This approval provides an additional treatment option for patients who suffer from epilepsy, bipolar disorder and migraines."



Generic divalproex sodium will have the same safety warnings as Depakote, including a Boxed Warning that cautions about the risk of liver damage (hepatotoxicity), including fatalities, and pancreatitis, or an inflamed pancreas, including fatal cases. The Boxed Warning also highlights the risk of birth defects (teratogenicity), including neural tube defects.



The following firms have received approval to market divalproex sodium delayed-release tablets: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mumbai, India; Genpharm Inc., Ontario, Canada; Nu-Pharm Inc., Ontario, Canada; Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Maple Grove, Minn.; Sandoz Inc., Broomfield, Colo.; TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA, North Wales, Penn.; Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad, India; and Lupin Limited, Mumbai, India.



For more information, see

Consumer Education: Generic Drugs



Information on specific drug products can be found on the Web site "Drugs@FDA"

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/



This is the complete article. Unless otherwise noted, the contents of the FDA Website (www.fda.gov)--both text and graphics--are not copyrighted.

Who is GINA? And What Does She Have To Do With Migraine Disease?

GINA is not a "who" but a "what". GINA is the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. GINA was signed into law by President George W. Bush on May 21, 2008.

On April 24, 2008, the Senate passed this bill 95 - 0. It was sent back to the House of Representatives on May 1, 2008 and passed 414 - 16 - 1. Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) was the only person to vote against this bill.

GINA makes it illegal for insurance companies and employers to discriminate against you because of your genetic makeup. A press release issued by Coalition for Genetic Fairness explains that this legislation protects against this discrimination by:

• Prohibiting group health insurance plans and issuers offering coverage on the group or individual market from basing eligibility determinations or adjusting premiums or contributions on the basis of an individual's genetic information. Insurance companies cannot request, require or purchase the results of genetic tests, and they are prohibited from disclosing personal genetic information.
• Prohibiting issuers of Medigap policies from adjusting pricing or conditioning eligibility on the basis of genetic information. They cannot request, require or purchase the results of genetic tests, or disclose genetic information.
• Prohibiting employers from firing, refusing to hire, or otherwise discriminating with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment. Employers may not request, require or purchase genetic information, and they are also prohibited from disclosing personal genetic information. Similar provisions apply to employment agencies and labor organizations.

Congresswomen Louise Slaughter (D-NY), who first authored and introduced genetic nondiscrimination legislation thirteen years ago, issued this press release explaining the historical precedents for GINA:

• In the 1970s, many African-Americans were denied jobs, educational opportunities, and insurance based on their carrier status for sickle cell anemia, despite the fact that a carrier lacked the two copies of a mutation necessary to get sick.
• In 1998, Lawrence Livermore Laboratories in Berkeley was found to have been performing tests for syphilis, pregnancy, and sickle cell on employees without their knowledge or consent for years.
• In 2000, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad performed genetic tests on employees without their knowledge or consent.

So, what does all this have to do with Migraine Disease?
Migraine is a hereditary condition. It is a genetic neurologically-based disease. The MAGNUM article, Migraines: Myth Vs. Reality explains:

Migraine is a genetically-based disease. We first learned this in the mid-90's, as it was specifically stated in correspondence with M.A.G.N.U.M. by Dr. Stephen J. Peroutka, M.D., Ph.D., President & CEO of Spectra Biomedical, Inc., a group of research physicians dedicated to understanding the genetic basis of Migraine and other illnesses, the "data are unequivocal: Migraine is a genetically-based illness. Individuals with a single parent having Migraine have approximately a 50% chance of having Migraine. This susceptibility is neither psychological nor induced by environmental causes."

Although Griffith University's Genomics Research Centre (GRC) in Australia is not the only one doing genetic research for Migraine disease, it is the home of the world's largest collection of DNA samples from migraine patients. The GRC has discovered different genetic regions on chromosomes 1, 19 and X where Migraine genes are found. Through genetic research, they have identified a link between hormones and Migraine and a link between Migraine genes and stroke saying:

There's a mutation in this gene that makes people more likely to suffer stroke and also increases the risk of migraine. We believe this to be a link between migraine and stroke.

It is possible for genetic testing to play a huge role in finding a cure for Migraine and other diseases and conditions. GINA will allow those of us with a genetic disease or condition to participate in testing without the fear that our insurance companies and employers find out. Those who may be predisposed to a specific genetic condition now have the opportunity to be proactive by monitoring their health and possibly preventing a genetic disease or condition.

For more information on genetic discrimination, you can read the 25-page report in pdf format: Faces of Genetic Discrimination: How Genetic Discrimination Affects Real People. (I did say it was 25-pages and in pdf format, right?)