If you have migraine, your doctor may recommend Vyepti as a treatment option.

Vyepti is a prescription drug used to help prevent migraine episodes in adults.

Migraine episodes can cause moderate to severe headaches as well as other symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting.

Note: Vyepti is not used to treat migraine symptoms when they occur, only to help prevent them in the first place. Your doctor or pharmacist can suggest other medications for treating migraine symptoms as they happen.

To learn more about how Vyepti is used to prevent migraine episodes, see the “Is Vyepti used for migraine?” section below.

Vyepti basics

Vyepti comes as a solution that a healthcare professional gives as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into your vein that you’ll receive over a period of time).

Vyepti contains the active ingredient eptinezumab-jjmr, which is a biologic medication. A biologic is made from parts of living cells.

Vyepti isn’t available in a biosimilar form. (Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for non-biologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.) Instead, eptinezumab-jjmr is only available as the brand-name drug Vyepti.

Vyepti is part of a group of medications called calcitonin gene-related peptide blockers.

In this article, we describe Vyepti’s uses, side effects, and more.

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Vyepti.

Where can I find patient reviews from people who’ve received Vyepti?

It’s possible to find testimonials from people who’ve received Vyepti on the manufacturer’s website. There you’ll find stories and videos of people living with migraine and their experiences with using the drug.

Note that every person’s body responds differently to medications. So you can’t reliably predict how your body will react to a treatment based on someone else’s experience.

To help you decide whether Vyepti is a good treatment for your migraine, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Will I have side effects from infusions of Vyepti?

It’s possible to have side effects from infusions of Vyepti.

Some of the most common side effects were cold-like symptoms, such as a stuffy nose or scratchy throat. These were mild to moderate side effects.

Another common side effect Vyepti can cause is an allergic reaction. In studies of the drug, this side effect appeared during or after the infusion. Allergic reactions to Vyepti were mild to moderate and disappeared within 24 to 48 hours.

For more information about cold-like symptoms and allergic reaction caused by Vyepti, see the “What are Vyepti’s side effects?” section below.

If you’re having side effects of Vyepti during your infusion or after, talk with your doctor. They might suggest ways to prevent or manage your symptoms. In some situations, your doctor may pause your Vyepti treatment. Your doctor will let you know if you can continue receiving Vyepti.

How does Vyepti work?

Vyepti is an antibody, and its mechanism of action (how it works) involves a specific protein. This protein is called a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).

CGRPs bind to other proteins in the brain called receptors, which act as docking stations. It’s thought that this binding results in migraine pain.

Vyepti attaches to CGRPs so that these proteins can’t bind to their receptors. This helps to prevent migraine pain.

For more details about how Vyepti works, talk with your doctor.

Does Vyepti cause weight gain?

No, it’s not likely. Weight gain wasn’t one of the side effects reported in studies of Vyepti.

If you’re having weight gain, talk with your doctor. They can find out if Vyepti or something else is causing this side effect. And they can then suggest ways for you to achieve a moderate weight.

Like most drugs, Vyepti may cause mild or serious side effects. This section describes some of the more common side effects that Vyepti may cause. It doesn’t cover all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

  • your age
  • other health conditions you have
  • other medications you take

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Vyepti. And they may be able to suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

You can also check out this article for more information about Vyepti’s side effects.

Mild side effects

Mild side effects of Vyepti that have been reported include:

  • cold-like symptoms*

* For more information about this side effect, see the “Side effect focus” section below.

To learn about other mild side effects this drug may cause, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Vyepti’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Vyepti can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Vyepti, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

A serious side effect of Vyepti that has been reported is:

* For more information about this side effect, see the “Side effect focus” section below.

Side effect focus

Learn more about some of the side effects Vyepti may cause.

Cold-like symptoms

Cold-like symptoms are common with Vyepti. You might have a sore or scratchy throat and a stuffy nose after receiving Vyepti. In studies of the drug, cold-like symptoms were mild to moderate.

What might help

If you have cold-like symptoms during Vyepti treatment that become bothersome, talk with your doctor. They may suggest remedies to help sooth your throat or clear your nose.

Here are a few tips that may help prevent getting a cold after a Vyepti infusion:

  • Wash your hands often.
  • Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
  • Keep your distance from people who are sick.

These measures can also help prevent giving a cold to others. If you’re feeling sick, you may need to stay home.

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Vyepti.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

These symptoms occurred during Vyepti infusions or shortly after. Most people had mild to moderate symptoms that disappeared after a day or two.

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing.

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Vyepti. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Costs of prescription drugs can vary depending on many factors. These factors include what your insurance plan covers and which pharmacy you use.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. And you might want to visit the Vyepti manufacturer’s website to see if they have support options.

You can also read this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions.

Vyepti is used for preventing migraine episodes in adults. Headaches that result can be moderate to severe and may last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. Migraine pain usually affects one side of a person’s head.

Besides headaches, other symptoms can occur with a migraine episode, such as:

Sometimes aura symptoms happen before or during the migraine episode. Aura symptoms may include:

  • flashes of light
  • tingling in your hands or feet
  • trouble seeing

Vyepti is an antibody, and it’s part of a group of drugs called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) blockers. These drugs work by attaching to a protein called CGRP.

CGRPs bind to other proteins in the brain called receptors, which act as docking stations. It’s thought that this binding results in migraine pain.

Vyepti attaches to CGRPs so that these proteins can’t bind to their receptors. This helps to prevent migraine pain.

Note: Vyepti is not used to treat migraine symptoms when they occur, only to help prevent them in the first place. Your doctor or pharmacist can suggest other medications for treating migraine symptoms as they happen.

For more details about using Vyepti to help prevent migraine episodes, talk with your doctor.

Vyepti and Aimovig both belong to the same group of medications used to prevent migraine episodes, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) blockers. But their active ingredients are different: Aimovig contains erenumab-aooe, and Vyepti contains eptinezumab-jjmr.

If you’d like to learn more about the similarities and differences of Vyepti and Aimovig, see the comparison chart in this article. Be sure to talk with your doctor about which drug is the right option for you.

Your doctor will explain how you’ll receive Vyepti. They’ll also explain how much you’ll receive and how often.

Receiving Vyepti

Vyepti comes as a solution that a healthcare professional will inject directly into your vein over a period of time. This is known as an intravenous (IV) infusion. Vyepti IV infusions take about 30 minutes, and you’ll have one every 3 months.

Receiving Vyepti with other drugs

You’ll usually receive Vyepti on its own to help prevent migraine episodes.

Note that Vyepti is used to prevent migraine episodes. It’s not used to treat symptoms, such as headaches, as they occur. Your doctor may prescribe other drugs for this purpose. Examples include ergotamine (Ergomar) and triptans such as sumatriptan (Imitrex) and zolmitriptan (Zomig).

To find out more about medications that can treat your migraine symptoms when they happen, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Questions for your doctor

You may have questions about Vyepti and your treatment plan. It’s important to discuss all your concerns with your doctor.

Here are a few tips that might help guide your discussion:

  • Before your appointment, write down questions such as:
    • How will Vyepti affect my body, mood, or lifestyle?
  • Bring someone with you to your appointment if doing so will help you feel more comfortable.
  • If you don’t understand something related to your condition or treatment, ask your doctor to explain it to you.

Remember, your doctor and other healthcare professionals are available to help you. And they want you to get the best care possible. So don’t be afraid to ask questions or offer feedback on your treatment.

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Vyepti that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but the dosage you receive will be determined by your doctor.

Form

Vyepti comes as a solution that a healthcare professional will mix with saline (a solution of salt and water). They’ll give you this mixture as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into your vein that you’ll receive over a period of time).

Recommended dosage

Your doctor will tell you how much Vyepti you’ll need. You’ll receive your dose of Vyepti once every 3 months. Depending on how well Vyepti works and how severe your migraine episodes are, you might need a higher dose.

Questions about Vyepti’s dosage

Here’s a list of commonly asked questions related to Vyepti’s dosage.

  • What if I miss a dose of Vyepti? If you miss an appointment for a Vyepti infusion, call your doctor’s office to reschedule. Missing a dose of Vyepti may cause migraine episodes to return. If you’ve missed a dose of Vyepti, talk with your doctor to find out when you’ll need to receive your next dose.
  • Will I need to use Vyepti long term? To help prevent migraine episodes, you may need to receive Vyepti long term. If Vyepti is working well for you and your side effects are manageable, your doctor may recommend that you received Vyepti long term.
  • How long does Vyepti take to work? Vyepti works quickly, but it may take a few weeks for you to notice. In studies, people saw a decrease in their migraine episodes within the first 3 months. Improvement was measured by how many migraine days a person had over 3 months.

To find out more about Vyepti’s dosage, see this article.

Some important things to discuss with your doctor when considering treatment with Vyepti include your overall health and any medical conditions you may have.

Tell your doctor if you’re taking other medications. This is important because some drugs can interfere with Vyepti. These and other considerations to discuss with your doctor are described below.

Interactions

Taking a medication with certain vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the medication works. These effects are called interactions.

Before taking Vyepti, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Vyepti.

Interactions with drugs or supplements

So far, there aren’t any known interactions between Vyepti and other drugs, vitamins, supplements, or herbs. But this doesn’t mean interactions with Vyepti can’t happen.

To be safe, talk with your doctor before taking any drugs, vitamins, herbs, or supplements during Vyepti treatment.

Warnings

Vyepti may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Talk with your doctor about your health history before you receive Vyepti. Following is one factor to consider:

  • Allergic reaction. If you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Vyepti or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely recommend that you don’t receive Vyepti. Ask your doctor what other medications are better options for you.

Vyepti and alcohol

Vyepti isn’t known to interact with alcohol.

But for some people, alcohol may trigger migraine episodes. So avoiding alcohol may help you prevent migraine episodes.

Before starting Vyepti treatment, ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to drink alcohol while receiving this drug.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

It’s unknown if Vyepti is safe to use during pregnancy.

Migraine episodes can be dangerous during pregnancy. Someone who’s pregnant and has migraine may be at higher risk of high blood pressure and a severe pregnancy complication called preeclampsia. If you’re pregnant or considering pregnancy while receiving Vyepti, talk with your doctor. You can discuss the best treatment option to prevent migraine episodes during this time.

It’s also unknown if it’s safe to breastfeed while receiving Vyepti. Tell your doctor if you’re breastfeeding or considering breastfeeding while taking Vyepti. They can discuss with you safe ways to feed your child.

If you have questions about taking Vyepti, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other treatments you can use for your condition. You might also find the information in the following article helpful:

If you’re interesting in joining a community of others who live with migraine, sign up for Healthline’s Bezzy Migraine. It’s a place where members can share their stories and find support.

Some questions about Vyepti you may want to ask your doctor include:

  • Which natural remedies can I take with Vyepti to prevent migraine episodes?
  • Can Vyepti cure migraine?
  • How can I switch from Vyepti to Aimovig?
  • Can Vyepti be used to prevent other types of headaches?
  • Can I take pain relief medication if I have a headache due to migraine on the day I receive a Vyepti infusion?

You can get updates on migraine treatments and tips for managing headache pain by subscribing to the Healthline migraine newsletter.

Q:

Will I have withdrawal symptoms if I stop receiving Vyepti?

Anonymous

A:

No, you won’t have withdrawal symptoms if you stop receiving Vyepti. But it’s possible that you’ll see an increase in migraine episodes when you stop Vyepti treatment. Before you stop receiving Vyepti, talk with your doctor.

Dena Westphalen, PharmDAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.