AbbVie ABBV announced positive top-line data from the phase III LUNA study, which evaluated atogepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, for preventive treatment of menstrual migraine in adult women. Menstrual migraine is a recurrent and debilitating form of migraine associated with attacks occurring around or during menstruation.
Atogepant is already approved in the United States as Qulipta for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults, while the drug is marketed as Aquipta in the European Union for acutetreatment and migraine prophylaxis in adults.
Year to date, ABBV shares have risen 11.6% compared with the industry's 10.4% growth.
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The phase III LUNA study evaluated atogepant for the prevention of menstrual migraine in adult women with either pure menstrual migraine or menstrually related migraine. Participants were given atogepant for seven days around the start of their menstrual period for three consecutive cycles.
Atogepant met the study's primary endpoint, reducing migraine days during the perimenstrual period by an average of 1.20 days compared with 0.40 days with placebo. This resulted in 0.80 fewer migraine days versus placebo.
The drug demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements across the study's secondary endpoints, including reductions in headache days, moderate-to-severe headache and migraine severity, as well as decreased use of acute migraine medications. Improvements were also observed in functional disability, cognitive function and responder rates. The safety profile remained consistent with the established profile of atogepant, with no new safety signals reported.
AbbVie plans to submit the study data to regulatory authorities worldwide and present the detailed results at future medical meetings.
With no treatment specifically approved for menstrual migraine, the LUNA findings could help address an important unmet need while potentially expanding the commercial opportunity for AbbVie's established migraine franchise.
The LUNA study data are particularly important from a commercial perspective because they could broaden the addressable market for Qulipta/Aquipta. Qulipta/Aquipta is already an important growth product within AbbVie's neuroscience portfolio. It is approved across 60 countries.
In the second quarter of 2026, global Qulipta/Aquipta net revenues reached $350 million, up 30.9% year over yearon a reported basis, while first-half 2026 revenues reached $646 million, representing 40.5% reported growth year over year.
AbbVie markets Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) for acute migraine treatment, supporting its broader migraine portfolio.
AbbVie currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Precigen PGEN, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and AC Immune ACIU and Aldeyra Therapeutics ALDX, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Over the past 60 days, estimates for Precigen's 2026 bottom line have improved from a loss of 2 cents to earnings per share of 25 cents. Over the same period, earnings estimates for 2027 have risen from 25 cents to 86 cents. PGEN shares have increased 59.8% year to date.
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AC Immune's earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 33.25%.
Over the past 60 days, loss per share estimates for Aldeyra Therapeutics have narrowed from 43 cents to 39 cents for 2026. Over the same period, estimates for 2027 loss per share have narrowed from 22 cents to 16 cents. ALDX shares have plunged 71.9% year to date.
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