New Medications Needed For Neuropathic Pain

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 23 May 2007 - 18:00 PDT

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Despite an array of powerful medications available to treat neuropathic pain, many patients with this increasingly common disorder fail to get relief from chronic, severe pain, according to an article scheduled for the May 31 issue of ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.

The article, written by Wyeth Research's John A. Butera, introduces a series of expert reports on the current status of research and promising new advances in drug therapy for neuropathic pain. Unlike ordinary pain, which can be controlled with medications and subsides after the injury heals, neuropathic pain continues and patients can experience chronic, debilitating pain that is difficult to treat.

Butera cites the need for new medications, noting that existing drugs usually provide only a 30 - 50 percent reduction in pain in about 50 percent of patients. "Coupled with this limited efficacy, there are low levels of compliance [in taking medication] due to intolerable side effect profiles associated with some of these drugs," the article states. "These results profoundly illustrate that treatment of neuropathic pain is a hugely unmet medical need." Butera cites estimates suggesting that neuropathic pain affects more than 6 million people in the United States and Europe - plus millions more who have neuropathy as a complication of diabetes.

ARTICLE #4 "Current and Emerging Targets to Treat Neuropathic Pain"

CONTACT:
John A. Butera, Ph.D.
Wyeth Research CN 8000
Princeton, New Jersey 08543

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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American Chemical Society