Pregabalin significantly improves neuropathic pain

(HealthDay)—Pregabalin significantly improves neuropathic pain, irrespective of the time since pain onset, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in Pain Practice.

Concepción Pérez, Ph.D., from the Hospital de la Princesa in Madrid, and colleagues conducted a pooled analysis of 19 randomized placebo-controlled trials of pregabalin for peripheral neuropathic pain conditions (including diabetic peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, and posttraumatic/postsurgical pain). Patients were divided into five categories according to time since onset of pain. For each category, the mean change in pain score at end point was assessed versus placebo. Data were included for 5,783 patients (3,619 pregabalin-treated and 2,164 placebo-treated).

The researchers found that across pain duration categories, the mean baseline pain scores were similar. In all patients together, pregabalin significantly improved pain score at end point versus placebo (treatment difference, −0.59); similar results were seen in each pain duration category. Significantly more Patient Global Impression of Change responders were seen with pregabalin versus placebo for all patients (45 versus 30.9 percent) and for each category separately. No consistent, significant differences in treatment response were seen between the different categories of pain duration.

"Pregabalin significantly improves pain irrespective of the length of time since onset of neuropathic pain," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, which manufactures pregabalin and funded the study.

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