ACTH FOR TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE HEADACHE

1 - 64 . (canceled)

65 . A method of treating an individual diagnosed with migraine comprising administration of an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) peptide, or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof, to an individual in need thereof at a therapeutically effective amount and interval.

66 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the migraine is chronic migraine, migraine with aura, migraine without aura, familial hemiplegic migraine, sporadic hemiplegic migraine, basilar-type migraine, status migrainosus, probable migraine or retinal migraine.

67 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the treatment is prophylactic and the migraine is chronic migraine.

68 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the treatment is acute and the migraine is status migrainosus.

69 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof is administered as an initial phase of from one to five doses at daily intervals and a subsequent phase of one or more doses administered at intervals greater than one day.

70 . The method of claim 69 , wherein each of the one to five doses of the initial phase is between about 10 IU and about 150 IU, and each of the one or more doses of the subsequent phase is between about 10 IU and about 80 IU.

71 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof, is an ACTH 1-39 peptide having the formula:

(SEQ ID NO: 1)

H-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-

   1   2   3   4   5   6   7    8   9 10

Lys-Pro-Val-Gly-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-Pro-Val-

11   12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19 20

Lys-Val-Tyr-Pro-Asp-Gly-Ala-Glu-Asp-Gln-

 21 22   23  24 25  26  27  28  29  30

Leu-Ala-Glu-Ala-Phe-Pro-Leu-Glu-Phe-OH

 31 32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39

or a fragment, complex, aggregate, or analog thereof, or any combination thereof.

72 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof, is an ACTH 1-24 peptide having the formula:

(SEQ ID NO: 2)

H-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-

   1   2   3   4   5   6   7    8   9 10

Lys-Pro-Val-Gly-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-Pro-Val-

11   12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19 20

Lys-Val-Tyr-Pro

21  22 23  24

or a fragment, complex, aggregate, or analog thereof, or any combination thereof.

73 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof, is a porcine-derived pituitary extract.

74 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH analog is a peptide with about 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100% homology to ACTH.

75 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof, is formulated as an aerosol, nasal spray, syrup, gel, liquid solution, emulsion, suspension, powder, injectable solution, aqueous liquid dispersion, self-emulsifying dispersion, solid solution, liposomal dispersion, immediate release formulation, prodrug, prolonged release formulation, controlled release formulation, fast melt formulation, delayed release formulation, pulsatile release formulation, multiparticulate formulation or mixed immediate and controlled release formulation.

76 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof, is administered intramuscularly, subcutaneously, intravenously, systemically, transmucosally, parenterally, intranasally, buccally, or transdermically, rectally, by inhalation or by implant.

77 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof, is a porcine-derived ACTH peptide or fragment, or any combination thereof, formulated in a prolonged release gel.

78 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof, is a recombinant human ACTH peptide or fragment, analog, complex or aggregate thereof, or any combination thereof.

79 . The method of claim 65 , further comprising administration of a second therapeutic agent.

80 . The method of claim 79 , wherein the second therapeutic agent selected from the group consisting of an antiepileptic, topiramate, gabapentin, pregabalin, valproate sodium, and zonisamide; onabotulinumtoxin A, botulinum toxin B, tizanidine, a tricyclic antidepressant, amitriptyline, imipramine, nortriptyline, protriptyline, doxepin, fluoxetine, memantine, triptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan, almotriptan, rizatriptan, zolmitriptan; dihydroergotamine, metoclopramide, hydroxyzine, an ergot derivative, methysergide, methylergonovine, methylergometrine, a neuroleptic, prochlorperazine, chlorpromazine, droperidol, a corticosteroid, magnesium, a NSAID, ketorolac, naproxen sodium, acetaminophen, an opioid, an antiemetic, metoclopramide, ondansetron, vitamin B12, timolol and propranolol.

81 . The method of claim 65 wherein the individual's migraine is refractory to other migraine treatments.

82 . The method of claim 81 wherein the individual's migraine is refractory to onabotulinum toxin A (Botox®) treatment.

83 . The method of claim 65 wherein the individual is contraindicated for treatment with another migraine medication.

84 . The method of claim 83 wherein the contraindicated treatment is a triptan, an ergot derivative, dihydroergotamine, methysergide, methylergonovine or methylergometrine.