Xyrem Helps Fibromyalgia Pain — Study

The drug Xyrem (sodium oxybate) shows promise in relieving pain in patients with a chronic condition called fibromyalgia.

An eight-week phase 2 study of 147 patients with the condition showed a significant reduction in pain in 35 percent of subjects taking a 4.5-gram daily dose of Xyrem and 27 percent of patients on a 6-gram dose, compared to 13 percent of patients taking placebo.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Management in San Diego.

The pain of fibromyalgia is notoriously difficult to treat, said Patrick Wood of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport.

The results from this trial are quite encouraging, and further study is warranted, he said.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic pain disorder marked by musculoskeletal aches, pains and stiffness, soft-tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances, the researchers said. The most common pain sites are the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic area and hands, but any part of the body can be affected.