Eli Lilly reports positive Cymbalta back pain results

Eli Lilly has announced the results of a new study that suggest a 60-120mg dose of Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) administered once-daily can significantly reduce chronic low back pain.

The results from the double-blind trial were presented at the annual congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies.

Chronic low back pain was measured in the study by the Brief Pain Inventory 24-hour average pain score.

According to the trial results, 31 per cent of patients treated with duloxetine experienced a 50 per cent reduction in pain, compared to 19 per cent administered with placebo, measured by an 11-point Likert pain scale.

The company notes doctors consider a pain reduction of at least 30 per cent as a clinically significant measure.

Vladimir Skljarevski, medical fellow at Lilly Research Laboratories, said: “Chronic low back pain can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to do the things they enjoy.”

He added this research may offer hope to patients dealing with this condition.

Last week, Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim announced that Cymbalta had been approved by the European Commission as a treatment for generalised anxiety disorder following five clinical studies.