Triptans

Sumatriptan, sold under the brand name Imitrex among others, is a medication used to treat migraine headaches and cluster headaches. It is taken orally, intranasally, or by subcutaneous injection. Therapeutic effects generally occur within three hours. Sumatriptan is a serotonin (5-HT1B/1D) receptor agonist (triptan).

Triptans are a family of antimigraine drugs used to abort migraines and cluster headaches. While effective at treating individual headaches, they do not provide preventive treatment and are not curative. They are not effective for the treatment of tension–type headache, except in persons who also experience migraines. Triptans do not relieve other kinds of pain. They are taken orally and by other routes.

Rizatriptan, sold under the brand name Maxalt among others, is a medication used for the treatment of migraine headaches. It is taken by mouth. It can also be applied on the tongue. It is a serotonin (5-HT) 1B/1D receptor agonist (triptan).

Naratriptan, sold under the brand names Amerge and Naramig among others, is a triptan drug marketed by GlaxoSmithKline and is used for the treatment of migraine headaches. It is a selective serotonin 5-HT1 receptor family agonist.

Zolmitriptan, sold under the brand name Zomig among others, is a serotonergic medication which is used in the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura and cluster headaches. It is taken by mouth as a swallowed or disintegrating tablet or as a nasal spray.

Frovatriptan, sold under the brand name Frova among others, is a triptan medication developed by Vernalis for the treatment of migraine headaches and for short term prevention of menstrual migraine. The product is licensed to Endo Pharmaceuticals in North America and Menarini in Europe.

Almotriptan, sold under the brand names Axert and Almogran among others, is a triptan medication used in the treatment of heavy migraine headache.

Eletriptan, sold under the brand name Relpax and used in the form of eletriptan hydrobromide, is a second-generation triptan medication intended for treatment of migraine headaches. It is used as an abortive medication, blocking a migraine attack which is already in progress. Eletriptan is marketed and manufactured by Pfizer.

LY-334370 is a selective serotonin 5-HT1F receptor agonist of the triptan and piperidinylindole families which was under development by Eli Lilly and Company for the treatment of migraine headaches. The drug showed efficacy in a phase II clinical trial but further development was halted due to toxicity detected in animals. It is closely related to tryptamines like the psychedelic drug dimethyltryptamine (DMT), but is not technically a tryptamine itself and is instead a piperidinylindole similarly to naratriptan.

Avitriptan (; development code BMS-180048) is an antimigraine drug of the triptan family which was never marketed. It acts as a serotonin 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptor agonist. The drug reached phase 3 clinical trials prior to the discontinuation of its development.