AbbVie doles out awards to support career goals of 20 people living with migraines

Migraines affect nearly 40 million people in the U.S. alone, and symptoms like headache, nausea and light sensitivity can often disrupt attendance and performance at work and school. In fact, migraines and their related symptoms are estimated to be responsible for the loss of more than 113 million work days in the U.S. each year.

To battle those disruptions, AbbVie, maker of three migraine treatment options, launched a contest this year to provide support for people whose migraines create obstacles in reaching their educational and career goals. The Big Pharma unveiled the first winners of the contest this week, each of whom will receive up to $2,500 to help them reach those goals.

According to AbbVie’s Thursday announcement, the 20 honorees in this year’s Migraine Career Catalyst Awards come from all walks of life and span a variety of career fields including engineers, scientists, teachers, artists and more.

AbbVie Migraine Career Catalyst Award logo
The award program's logo. (AbbVie)

To enter the contest, individuals were asked to submit a written essay or recorded video or audio clip describing how their migraines have created challenges in their working lives and how the award would help them overcome those challenges and achieve their long-term goals.

According to AbbVie, one winner, a state park worker, said she planned to use the award money to set up a mentorship program to help the next generation of public servants learn to navigate any obstacles in their own careers, migraine-related or not. Others quoted in the release planned to put the money toward law school tuition or upgrades to home offices.

“Migraine can significantly affect an individual’s career trajectory and long-term potential," Jag Dosanjh, president of neuroscience and eye care at AbbVie, said in the announcement. "Despite these challenges, the recipients of the inaugural AbbVie Migraine Career Catalyst Award have shared their remarkable determination to overcome disease-related obstacles as they work toward their professional aspirations."

“As the only company with three treatment options that collectively address the entire spectrum of migraine, we have a deep understanding of the challenges that people living with migraine can face in the workplace, and we’re proud to support these individuals as they lead lives that transcend obstacles often imposed by the impact of the disease,” Dosanjh continued.

That trio of treatments consists of Qulipta, Botox and Ubrelvy. According to a recent analysis from GlobalData, the last of these is expected to be the top-selling migraine drug by the end of the next decade, raking in a predicted $1.07 billion in annual sales by 2033. So far this year, Ubrelvy has brought in a total of $703 million for AbbVie, a year-over-year improvement of nearly 21%, according to the company’s third-quarter earnings report.