• IrvingGordon AGASwedish Pain Center, Seattle, Washington, USA., Miroslav M Backonja, Edwin Dunteman, E Richard Blonsky, Geertrui F Vanhove, Shiao-Ping Lu, Jeffrey Tobias, and NGX-4010 C117 Study Group.
• Swedish Pain Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.
• Pain Med. 2011 Jan 1; 12 (1): 99-109.

ObjectivesTo confirm the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of NGX-4010, an 8% capsaicin dermal patch (capsaicin 640 µg/cm(2) ), in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN is a chronic pain disorder that can be difficult to treat and for which current treatment options are often limited by poor tolerability.DesignA total of 418 patients were randomized to receive a single 60-minute application of NGX-4010 or a 0.04% capsaicin control patch (3.2 µg/cm(2) ) in a multicenter, double-blind, confirmatory, phase 3 study.PatientsPatients were 18-90 years old with a diagnosis of PHN, pain for at least 6 months, and an average baseline Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score of 3-9.Outcome MeasuresThe primary efficacy end point was the percentage change in NPRS score from baseline to weeks 2-8.ResultsNGX-4010 recipients had a significantly greater mean reduction from baseline in pain during weeks 2-8 compared with the control group (32.0% vs 24.4%; P=0.011). A ≥ 30% reduction in mean NPRS scores was achieved in 46% of NGX-4010 recipients compared with 34% of controls (P=0.02). Pain was significantly lower in NGX-4010 recipients than controls by week 2, and greater pain reduction was maintained throughout the remaining 12-week study period. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were application site specific (notably erythema and pain), transient, and generally mild to moderate in severity.ConclusionsIn patients with PHN, a single 60-minute application of NGX-4010 produced significant reduction in pain that was maintained over a 12-week period.Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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