NGX-4010, a capsaicin 8% dermal patch, administered alone or in combination with systemic neuropathic pain medications, reduces pain in patients with postherpetic neuralgia.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Analyses of integrated data from 4 controlled postherpetic neuralgia studies evaluated the effect of NGX-4010, a capsaicin 8% patch, administered alone or together with systemic neuropathic pain medications.

METHODS:

Patients recorded their “average pain for the past 24 hours” daily for 12 weeks using an 11-point Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Efficacy assessment included the percentage NPRS score reduction from baseline during weeks 2 to 8 and 2 to 12, the proportion of patients responding during weeks 2 to 8 and 2 to 12 and the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) at weeks 8 and 12.

RESULTS:

During the studies, 302 NGX-4010 and 250 control (capsaicin, 0.04% wt/wt) patients were using at least 1 systemic neuropathic pain medication; 295 NGX-4010 and 280 control patients were not. During weeks 2 to 8, NGX-4010 patients reported greater reductions in NPRS scores compared with control both in patients using systemic neuropathic pain medications (26.1% vs. 18.1%, P=0.0011) and in patients not using these medications (36.5% vs. 26.2%, P=0.0002). Patients not using systemic neuropathic pain medications reported a greater reduction in pain compared with patients using these medications in both, NGX-4010 and control groups, resulting in comparable treatment differences between NGX-4010 and control regardless of systemic neuropathic pain medication use. Similar results were seen during weeks 2 to 12, for the responder and PGIC analyses. Transient, capsaicin-related application site reactions were the most common adverse events and not affected by systemic neuropathic pain medication use.

CONCLUSION:

A single 60-minute NGX-4010 treatment reduces PHN for up to 12 weeks regardless of concomitant systemic neuropathic pain medication use.

• Authors: Gordon A Irving, Miroslav Backonja, Richard Rauck, Lynn R Webster, Jeffrey K Tobias, Geertrui F Vanhove
• Journal: The Clinical journal of pain (Clin J Pain) Vol. 28 Issue 2 Pg. 101-7 (Feb 2012) ISSN: 1536-5409 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21753727 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Analgesics
• Capsaicin

Topics

• Administration, Cutaneous
• Aged
• Analgesics (administration & dosage)
• Capsaicin (administration & dosage)
• Drug Therapy, Combination (methods)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Neuralgia, Postherpetic (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Pain Measurement (drug effects, statistics & numerical data)
• Prevalence
• Risk Assessment
• Risk Factors
• Treatment Outcome
• United States (epidemiology)