The latest approval is for the indication of neuropathic pain
Singapore: Pfizer Japan has received approval in Japan to replace the current indication of peripheral neuropathic pain for pain treatment Lyrica Capsules (pregabalin) with the new and broader indication of neuropathic pain.
The drug is co-promoted in Japan by Pfizer and Eisai, with both companies working to provide information on its proper use.
Lyrica is a therapeutic agent for the treatment of pain that was originally developed by Pfizer. It is currently approved in 120 countries and regions worldwide and is recommended as a first-line treatment for neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia by leading academic societies, including the International Association for the Study of Pain.
As its major mechanism of action, Lyrica is thought to express its analgesic effect by inhibiting the release of various neurotransmitters in an overexcited nervous system. Lyrica was first launched in Japan as a treatment for postherpetic neuralgia in June 2010; the agent was approved in October 2010 for the broader indication of peripheral neuropathic pain, which includes postherpetic neuralgia, and again in June 2012 for the additional indication of pain associated with fibromyalgia.
This latest approval for the indication of neuropathic pain, which includes peripheral neuropathic pain, is a partial label change to the current indications for Lyrica and is based on confirmation of the drug's efficacy in treating pain associated with spinal cord injury, which is a representative central neuropathic pain disorder.
