Pfizer drug ‘offers hope’ to nerve pain sufferers

Results published this week in the Neurology journal show an oral administration of pregabalin, developed by Pfizer, is effective in the relieving central neuropathic pain and reducing disturbances in sleep as a result of pain in spinal cord injury patients.

The study showed that patients administered with 150-600mg of pregabalin daily showed improvements in symptoms as soon as one week of treatment, with these improvements being uninterrupted during the study.

Prof Philip Siddal, lead investigator of the study, said: “The study demonstrates that pregabalin is an effective and well-tolerated therapy for treating a range of symptoms that can negatively impact overall quality of life.”

He added that the Pfizer-sponsored study was “an important step” for those attempting to help patients with nerve pains that are complicated to treat.

Pregabalin, marketed under the Lyrica brand name, is thought to work by calming hyper excited neurons that could be an essential foundation for some varieties of nerve pain.

In September, Lyrica was approved by the European Commission for the treatment of central neuropathic pain, broadening its indications to include treatment for patients with pain related to spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and stroke.