Singapore: Global pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, has achieved positive result from its phase 4 study of pain reducing drug Lyrica (pregabalin) in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (pain after shingles or PHN) in China.

However, the phase 3 study of Lyrica efficacy in painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) did not meet its primary endpoint in China, the company informed.

The PHN study was an eight-week, randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled, post-marketing study evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of pregabalin 300mg/day in the treatment of subjects with PHN.

PHN is a type of peripheral neuropathic pain caused by nerve damage. PHN symptoms include continued burning or electric shock-like pain. pDPN is a form of permanent nerve damage characterized by burning, shooting, pins-and-needles pain in the feet and hands.

Lyrica is currently approved for various indications in 120 countries and regions globally. In China, where these two studies were conducted, Lyrica is approved for PHN.

Lyrica is approved for five indications in the US, of which four are in the therapeutic area of pain. These indications include neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after shingles), neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury, fibromyalgia and partial onset seizures in adults with epilepsy who take one or more drugs for seizures.