Pfizer gets FDA approval for Lyrica

Pfizer has announced that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the use of Lyrica for widespread pain condition fibromyalgia.

More than six million people in the United States suffer from the condition, according to the company, which has branded the approval an “important day” for sufferers of fibromyalgia.

“This is an important day for people with fibromyalgia and a real opportunity to help physicians effectively manage this disorder,” said Dr Don Goldenberg, co-chair of the fibromyalgia guideline panel for the American Pain Society and professor of medicine, Tufts University.

“Having a medication approved for use in fibromyalgia, along with research advances, will go a long way to improving our understanding and treatment of this common disorder.”

Lyrica has already been used to treat five million patients worldwide under its existing indication as a treatment for managing neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, as well as for treating adults with partial onset seizures.

“Rapid and sustained improvements” were noted in trials using Lyrica to treat fibromyalgia when compared with placebo, Pfizer has said.

Earlier this week, Pfizer said that it had received an approvable letter from the FDA for maraviroc, a potential therapy for patients with CCR5-tropic HIV-1.