Abstract
Migraine is a ubiquitous neurological disorder that afflicts more than one billion people worldwide. Recommended therapeutic strategies include the use of acute and, if needed, preventive medications. Over the past two decades, tremendous progress has been made in better understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying migraine pathogenesis which, in turn, has resulted in the advent of novel medications targeting signaling molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide or its receptor. Here, we provide an update on the rational use of pharmacotherapies for migraine to facilitate more informed clinical decision-making. We then discuss the scientific discoveries that led to the advent of new medications targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide signaling. Lastly, we conclude with recent advances that are being made to identify novel drug targets for migraine.