The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Botox injection (onabotulinumtoxinA) to prevent headaches

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Botox injection
(onabotulinumtoxinA) to prevent headaches in adult patients with
chronic migraine. Chronic migraine is defined as having a history of
migraine and experiencing a headache on most days of the month.

"Chronic migraine is one of the most disabling forms of headache,"
said Russell Katz, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology
Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
"Patients with chronic migraine experience a headache more than 14
days of the month. This condition can greatly affect family, work, and
social life, so it is important to have a variety of effective
treatment options available."

Migraine headaches are described as an intense pulsing or throbbing
pain in one area of the head. The headaches are often accompanied by
nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine is
three times more common in women than in men. Migraine usually begins
with intermittent headache attacks 14 days or fewer each month
(episodic migraine), but some patients go on to develop the more
disabling chronic migraine.