Rizatriptan, sold under the brand nameMaxalt among others, is amedication used for the treatment ofmigraine headaches.[1][3] It is takenby mouth.[1][3] It can also be applied on the tongue.[2] It is a serotonin (5-HT) 1B/1D receptor agonist (triptan).[1][2]
Rizatriptan was patented in 1991 and came into medical use in 1998.[5][6] It is available as ageneric medication.[4] In 2023, it was the 208th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2million prescriptions.[7][8] Rizatriptan is available in combination withmeloxicam asmeloxicam/rizatriptan.
Rizatriptan isindicated to treat acutemigraine attacks with or withoutaura.[1][2] It does not prevent future migraine attacks.[9] A 2010 review found rizatriptan to be more efficacious and tolerable than sumatriptan.[10]
Frequent adverse effects (incidence less than 10%) are dizziness, drowsiness, asthenia/fatigue, and nausea. Clinical adverse experiences were typically mild and short-lasting (2–3 hours).[11]
^"Rizatriptan".MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine.Archived from the original on 5 July 2016. Retrieved21 March 2018.
^Göbel H (2010). "Efficacy and tolerability of rizatriptan 10 mg compared with sumatriptan 100 mg: an evidence-based analysis".Expert Rev Neurother.10 (4):499–506.doi:10.1586/ern.10.24.PMID20367203.S2CID43395810.
^abcMillson DS, Tepper SJ, Rapoport AM (March 2000). "Migraine pharmacotherapy with oral triptans: a rational approach to clinical management".Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy.1 (3):391–404.doi:10.1517/14656566.1.3.391.PMID11249525.S2CID36053513.
^Tfelt-Hansen P, De Vries P, Saxena PR (December 2000). "Triptans in migraine: a comparative review of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and efficacy".Drugs.60 (6):1259–1287.doi:10.2165/00003495-200060060-00003.PMID11152011.
^Deleu D, Hanssens Y (July 2000). "Current and emerging second-generation triptans in acute migraine therapy: a comparative review".J Clin Pharmacol.40 (7):687–700.doi:10.1177/00912700022009431.PMID10883409.
^van den Brink M (22 December 1999)."Coronary Side Effects of Antimigraine Drugs From Patient to Receptor".RePub, Erasmus University Repository. Retrieved19 June 2025.Table 1.2 Receptor binding properties (pKi values) of sumatriptan and second-generation triptans at 5-HT receptors. [...]
^Pauwels PJ, Tardif S, Palmier C, Wurch T, Colpaert FC (1997). "How efficacious are 5-HT1B/D receptor ligands: an answer from GTP gamma S binding studies with stably transfected C6-glial cell lines".Neuropharmacology.36 (4–5):499–512.doi:10.1016/s0028-3908(96)00170-0.PMID9225275.
^Nelson DL, Phebus LA, Johnson KW, Wainscott DB, Cohen ML, Calligaro DO, et al. (October 2010). "Preclinical pharmacological profile of the selective 5-HT1F receptor agonist lasmiditan".Cephalalgia.30 (10):1159–1169.doi:10.1177/0333102410370873.PMID20855361.
^Rubio-Beltrán E, Labastida-Ramírez A, Haanes KA, van den Bogaerdt A, Bogers AJ, Zanelli E, et al. (December 2019)."Characterization of binding, functional activity, and contractile responses of the selective 5-HT1F receptor agonist lasmiditan".British Journal of Pharmacology.176 (24):4681–4695.doi:10.1111/bph.14832.PMC6965684.PMID31418454.TABLE 1 Summary of pIC50 (negative logarithm of the molar concentration of these compounds at which 50% of the radioligand is displaced) and pKi (negative logarithm of the molar concentration of the Ki ) values of individual antimigraine drugs at 5‐HT receptors [...] TABLE 2 Summary of pEC50 values of cAMP (5‐HT1A/B/E/F and 5‐HT7), GTPγS (5‐HT1A/B/D/E/F), and IP (5‐HT2) assays of individual antimigraine drugs at 5‐HT receptors [...]
^Perez, M., Halazy, S., Pauwels, P.J., Colpaert, F.C., John, G.W. (1999)."F-11356".Drugs of the Future.24 (6): 0605.doi:10.1358/dof.1999.024.06.537284. Retrieved23 June 2025.
