Participate in creative research about migraine
Statistics can reveal patterns and trends, but they often miss the depth and complexity of individual experiences. Research shows that for migraine, prevention is the gold standard. However, there are many barriers, both social and financial, to accessing preventive medication in New Zealand. Funding decisions for medications are often based on cost-effectiveness analysis – but […]
Results from survey on triptans use in NZ
During June and July 2025, we conducted an online survey asking people about their use of triptans for migraine and the need for more medication options to treat migraine attacks. New Zealand deserves more migraine-specific acute medications. We only have two triptans, which are the migraine-specific medications used when you have a migraine attack. Globally […]
Registrations open to participate in a migraine clinical trial in New Zealand
A new migraine clinical trial is getting ready to kick off in New Zealand, testing a potential new medication that aims to help prevent migraine attacks. The clinical trial is being conducted by three clinical trial companies – Optimal Clinical Trials, Pacific Clinical Research Network (PCRN) and the New Zealand Brain Research Institute (NZBRI), with […]
New research on migraine in New Zealand: primary care perspective
During the summer of 2024/25, Migraine Foundation researchers and 4th year medical student Julia Randerson interviewed eight primary care clinicians (five GPs and three nurse practitioners) to find out about their experiences of managing people with migraine, including barriers to and support for effective care. She reflects on what she found here. In summary, key […]
What primary care clinicians think about managing migraine
In this guest blog, medical student Julia Randerson shares what she learnt about how migraine is managed in NZ from interviewing primary care clinicians. Tēnā koutou katoa, Migraine Foundation whānau! My name is Julia, and I’m a fourth-year medical student at the University of Otago, based at the Pōneke campus. I spent last summer working […]
Searching for relief: What the Migraine in Aotearoa NZ Survey reveals about treatment gaps in New Zealand
The Migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand Survey collected a range of information about people’s experiences of migraine in 2022. We have used that information in our application to Pharmac to fund galcanezumab (Emgality), in presentations and webinars to health professionals and to publish articles in the scientific literature. This has helped us gain media coverage […]
Migraine features in Neurological Foundation’s Headlines magazine
Migraine disease and Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand featured in the Neurological Foundation’s Autumn 2025 Headlines magazine. The feature article: A new era in migraine treatments, focuses predominantly on the CGRP monoclonal antibody medications for migraine, through discussions with Professor Peter Goadsby and Professor Debbie Hay during our Migraine Unravelled event on 30 November 2024. […]
Highlights from day one of the Migraine World Summit 2025
It’s the first day of the Migraine World Summit – we’ve listened to two of the interviews available free to watch today. Check out the highlights below and sign up to listen to these and more over the coming week. The latest insights on CGRP-targeted medications in migraine treatment (Dr Amaal Starling) This interview gives […]
Migraine research funding success
We’re delighted to announce that Dr Fiona Imlach, one of the co-founders of Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand, has been successful in receiving a grant from the Health Research Council. This will fund work to scope out how we could undertake a cost-of-illness study in Aotearoa New Zealand and estimate how much migraine costs the […]
Unanswered questions about the use of Botoxᵀᴹ for chronic migraine
Onabotulinum toxinA (commonly known by its trade name Botoxᵀᴹ) is an effective treatment for chronic migraine (when headache occurs for 15 days or more a month for at least three months). Botoxᵀᴹ is famous for erasing unwanted facial wrinkles and its inclusion in the arsenal against chronic migraine was serendipitous. People with migraine who were […]
