Astellas’ Qutenza receives approval for new pre-treatment options

Astellas has announced that the European Commission has approved expanded options for pre-treatment prior to the use of Qutenza, its patch-based therapy for peripheral neuropathic pain.

Following the new EU ruling, patients may now take an oral analgesic prior to application, as an alternative to having the area in question pre-treated with a topical anaesthetic.

Data from the recent clinical study Lift – which was used to support the latest regulatory submission – showed that both options are effective in helping patients to tolerate the patch.

This ruling will allow doctors to be more flexible and cost-effective when prescribing Qutenza, which has proven a useful means of treating conditions such as post-herpetic neuralgia, HIV neuropathy and chemotherapy-induced neuropathy.

Anne Hodgkins, senior brand director for pain management at Astellas Pharma Europe, said: "Managing peripheral neuropathic pain is challenging and the individual needs of the patient are paramount when treatment decisions are made."

This comes after the company last month introduced Betmiga – a new once-daily therapy for adult patients with overactive bladder – to the UK market.