Lyrica Fails in Pain Trials

Pregabalin (Lyrica) was not effective in reducing neuropathic pain associated with HIV infection or diabetes in two separate trials, the drug’s manufacturer said. Pfizer has announced that the phase III HIV neuropathy study was stopped early, after an interim analysis found no benefit for the drug. The other phase III study evaluated pregabalin as second-line therapy for peripheral diabetic neuropathy. It was structured as a placebo-controlled trial involving 665 patients with painful neuropathy that had not responded to another treatment. “The results revealed that the improvements in neuropathic pain symptoms in this study were virtually identical between the Lyrica and placebo treatments,” according to Pfizer. It said no safety issues were raised. Pfizer News Release May 2012