Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy)

How Medicare covers it

Part D (forms used at home). Part A during a covered inpatient stay. No Part B clinician-administered form in the CMS Part B spending file.

What it treats

Migraine attacks in adults, with or without aura. It is taken when an attack starts to treat that attack. It is not used to prevent migraines.

What it is for, in depth

Ubrelvy is for the acute (right-now) treatment of a migraine attack in adults, whether or not the attack comes with aura — the warning signs some people get, such as flashing lights or tingling, before the headache. A migraine is a severe, throbbing headache that can come with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. This drug is prescribed for adults who need a treatment to take when an attack starts; it is not a daily preventive drug and it does not lower how many migraines you get. In the treatment path it is an as-needed attack treatment, taken at the first sign of a migraine, with one repeat dose allowed after 2 hours if the first dose was not enough. It comes only as tablets for oral use, in two strengths: 50 mg and 100 mg. The safety of treating more than 8 migraines in a 30-day period has not been established.

How it works

Ubrogepant is a CGRP receptor antagonist (a 'gepant'). It blocks a natural substance in the body called CGRP that helps cause migraine pain, which helps stop the symptoms of an attack that is already happening.

How it is taken

Tablet by mouth, taken as needed at the start of a migraine. The usual dose is 50 mg or 100 mg. If needed, a second dose may be taken at least 2 hours after the first. Do not take more than 200 mg in 24 hours. People with severe liver or severe kidney problems use the lower 50 mg dose. It may be taken with or without food.

Common side effects

The side effects people report most often are nausea, sleepiness or drowsiness, and dry mouth.

Serious warnings

This label has no boxed warning. Serious allergic reactions can happen, including anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction), trouble breathing, and swelling of the face or throat; if a serious reaction happens, stop the drug and get treatment right away. New or worse high blood pressure may occur, so blood pressure should be checked. New or worse Raynaud's phenomenon (fingers or toes that turn pale or blue and feel numb or painful in the cold) may also occur. Based on animal studies, this drug may harm an unborn baby.

Who should be careful

People with severe liver problems or severe kidney problems need the lower dose, and people with end-stage kidney disease should avoid it. People with high blood pressure or Raynaud's disease should be watched closely. Anyone who has had a serious allergy to ubrogepant or any part of the tablet must not take it. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Major interactions

Never take it with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, or clarithromycin — this combination is not allowed because it raises ubrogepant levels a lot. Strong CYP3A4 inducers should be avoided because they can make ubrogepant stop working well. The dose may also need to change with moderate or weak CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers, and with drugs that block BCRP or P-gp (such as quinidine, carvedilol, eltrombopag, or curcumin). Grapefruit can also affect it — do not take a second tablet within 24 hours if you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about every medicine and supplement you take, including St. John's wort.

Cost and saving notes

Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) is a brand-name drug with no generic version, so it is usually one of the more costly migraine drugs under Medicare Part D. Whether your plan covers it, and what you pay, depends on your own plan's drug list — check your plan's formulary or ask your pharmacist before you fill it, and ask your plan about any lower-cost migraine treatment it prefers.

Why it is in its tier

Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) sits on Tier 3 in 87.6% of the plans that list it (3180 of 3630 listing plans). Tier 3 is the preferred brand tier — mid-level copays or coinsurance. The data-visible drivers: It is a brand-only product with no generic version in the formulary data, and the CMS dashboard puts its average Part D spending at about $5,148 per beneficiary for 2024 — a high-cost drug, which matches where plans place it. It is listed by 66.06% of Part D plans. The tier shown is the most common one; individual plans vary.

Sources

• UBRELVY (UBROGEPANT) TABLET [SPORTPHARM LLC] — DailyMed
• MedlinePlus — National Library of Medicine
• MedlinePlus — Ubrogepant

What official patient guides say

Ubrogepant comes as a tablet to take by mouth (the Ubrelvy tablet form in this package). MedlinePlus says it is taken at the first sign of a migraine headache — it is taken as needed for an attack, not on a daily schedule. In some cases, you may take a second dose after 2 hours, if needed. Your doctor will tell you the maximum number of tablets you may take in a 24-hour period, and the maximum number of migraine headaches you should treat with ubrogepant tablets in a 30-day period. Take it exactly as directed — do not take more or less of it or take it more often than directed by the package label or prescribed by your doctor. Call your doctor if your headaches do not get better or occur more frequently after taking ubrogepant. MedlinePlus also says not to take a second ubrogepant tablet within 24 hours of the first dose if you drink grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit, and to talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medication. The page gives no missed-dose instructions, because the medicine is taken only when a migraine occurs. MedlinePlus says to keep a headache diary, writing down when you have headaches and when you take ubrogepant, and that your blood pressure should be checked regularly during treatment. Keep the tablets in the container they came in, tightly closed and out of reach of children. Store them at room temperature, away from extra heat and moisture, and not in the bathroom. Do not flush leftover medicine. Ask your pharmacist about a medicine take-back program.

Source: MedlinePlus — Ubrogepant

Part D formulary coverage

Source: CMS Prescription Drug Plan Formulary, Pharmacy Network, and Pricing Information Files — Monthly file 2026-10-15 (plan year 2027), file 2027_20261008.zip (data.cms.gov dataset ed1496ea-23e7-41f1-9292-172fa842ccfb): basic drugs formulary file + plan information file, both dated 20261031 inside the zip; downloaded and aggregated 2026-10-30. Medication RxCUI sets resolved through the NLM RxNav (RxNorm) API.

What you pay

Without insurance, the cash benchmark is 109.10123 per unit (UBRELVY 100 MG TABLET) — about nan for 30 units. NADAC benchmark — the average price pharmacies pay (CMS, as of 2026-11-04). Pharmacy shelf prices vary.

A tier is not a price; what you pay depends on your plan, pharmacy, and benefit stage; Extra Help or Medicaid can lower it further.

Sources: CMS Plan Benefit Package + formulary data; CMS NADAC · Checked 2026-11-08

Coverage by plan and tier

Of the 5,495 Medicare drug plans we track for 2027, 3,630 list Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) — 66.1% of plans. Most of those plans put it on Tier 3: 3,180 plans, 87.6% of the plans that list it. Other plans place it on Tier 5 (256 plans), Tier 1 (113 plans) or Tier 2 (45 plans). For example: Aetna Medicare Dual Extra (HMO D-SNP) puts it on Tier 3; Aetna Medicare Dual Extra Care (PPO D-SNP) puts it on Tier 3; Aetna Medicare Value Plus (PPO) puts it on Tier 3. You can compare these plans side by side on our Medicare Advantage hub. A tier is not a price. What you pay also depends on whether you have met your plan';s deductible, whether the drug costs a flat copay or a share of the price, and whether you get Extra Help or Medicaid.

Read next

• Part D in 2027: The $700 Deductible, the $2,400 Cap, and the $35 Insulin Rule
• Extra Help in 2027: Lower Drug Copays and Who Qualifies
• Checking Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help

Part D spending averages (2024)

Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug (Drug Spending Dashboard), release RY26 P04 V10, data through 2024 (DSD_PTD_RY26_P04_V10_DY24_BGM.csv), downloaded 2026-10-30

Companies covering this drug

Part D and Medicare Advantage plan sponsors that list this drug on a formulary, 50 at a time.