Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) shares dropped after the company presented new epidemiology findings on migraine from Israel, indicating that socio-economic factors can lead to migraine underdiagnosis in society.
Disparities exist in migraine diagnosis related to socio-economic status
A retrospective migraine epidemiology study in Southern Israel, funded by Teva, established that there was extreme diversity in the diagnosed migraine patients percentage across the geographic study area. The company presented findings of the study at the European Academy of Neurology’s (EAN) virtual 7th Congress.
According to the findings, there was a positive correlation between prevalence rates and socio-economic status of the study area, suggesting that persons suffering from migraines from low-income areas may have a more challenging time getting an accurate diagnosis, which affects chances of receiving adequate treatment.
Professor Gal Ifergan, the principal study investigator and neurology department chair at Soroka University Medical Centre, said that the study results are concerning since they indicate there is a considerable gap in migraine awareness in the study population. Although the research focused on a single region of a single country, it could indicate that similar unfairness exists in other regions of the world. Ifergan said that migraine is a challenging, debilitating neurological condition that does not discriminate based on a person’s social status. He said that the study concluded that underdiagnosis might be a social as well as a medical issue. Therefore more research is needed to ensure migraine patients have access to the therapeutic strategies that are best for them.
The study adds to ongoing migraine awareness studies
The findings of the study add to a growing awareness of the difficulties that migraine sufferers face. Beyond Migraine: The Real You, a Teva-sponsored study project launched in 2020, evaluated over 7,500 migraine sufferers in ten European countries. It was shown that those who suffer from migraines found it difficult to support themselves.