Lyrica Study Shows Promising Results for Epilepsy Treatment

Feb. 14–Pfizer Inc. said Monday that a study in the scientific journal Neurology shows its newly approved Lyrica drug significantly reduced the incidences of partial seizures and is well tolerated in patients when used with other treatments for epilepsy.

The study said patients who received Lyrica three times daily experienced 53 percent fewer seizures while those treated twice a day experienced up to 44 percent fewer seizures. Those experiencing partial seizures can remain alert while others can suffer a change of consciousness. General seizures can be convulsive or non-convulsive and include brief lapses of attention or a more prolonged loss of consciousness.

Dr. Ahmad Beydoun, the lead author of the study that appears in Neurology and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan, said there remains a considerable need for an “add-on” drug such as Lyrica because it helps to control seizures within a tolerable safety profile. The study showed the most common side effects from those taking Lyrica were dizziness, sleepiness and a loss of muscular control. Most of those effects were mild to moderate in their intensity, according to the study.

Epilepsy is a medical condition estimated to affect as many as 50 million people globally, with almost 3 million affected in this country. Pfizer officials said about a third of epilepsy patients who take one anti-epilepsy treatment continue to experience seizures and more than 30 percent of those who take two or more drugs to treat the condition also can experience uncontrolled seizures. Pfizer officials said that reducing the frequency of seizures is still a significant challenge for the medical community.

The news about Lyrica’s success treating partial seizures propelled Pfizer’s shares higher in trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Pfizer shares closed Monday’s trading at $25.50, up nearly 1.5 percent from the previous day’s trading.

This past month, an industry analyst with Standard & Poor’s predicted that Lyrica could generate annual sales of more than $1 billion for Pfizer, which could help offset the expected erosion of sales of its blockbuster Celebrex and Bextra pharmaceuticals. FDA hearings will be held this week into the possible cardiovascular effects of such drugs, which are known as COX-2 inhibitors and are used to treat acute pain and inflammation often suffered by those with arthritis-related conditions.

Pfizer is still awaiting final action by the FDA allowing use of the drug for treating partial seizures, but in December it received approval to use Lyrica to treat pain caused by nerve damage from diabetes or shingles. Pfizer officials have said that Lyrica is the first FDA-approved drug for treatment of this type of pain, which is often described as a burning, tingling, sharp “pins and needles” feeling in the feet, legs, hands and arms.

Pfizer has said about 3 million diabetes sufferers in the United States develop nerve damage over the course of their disease, while about 150,000 Americans can develop nerve damage from shingles.

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