title: NGX-4010, a capsaicin 8% dermal patch, administered alone or in combination with systemic neuropathic pain medications, reduces pain in patients with postherpetic neuralgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Analyses of integrated data from 4 controlled postherpetic neuralgia studies evaluated the effect of NGX-4010, a capsaicin 8% patch, administered alone or together with systemic neuropathic pain medications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients recorded their “average pain for the past 24 hours” daily for 12 weeks using an 11-point Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Efficacy assessment included the percentage NPRS score reduction from baseline during weeks 2 to 8 and 2 to 12, the proportion of patients responding during weeks 2 to 8 and 2 to 12 and the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) at weeks 8 and 12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the studies, 302 NGX-4010 and 250 control (capsaicin, 0.04% wt/wt) patients were using at least 1 systemic neuropathic pain medication; 295 NGX-4010 and 280 control patients were not. During weeks 2 to 8, NGX-4010 patients reported greater reductions in NPRS scores compared with control both in patients using systemic neuropathic pain medications (26.1% vs. 18.1%, P=0.0011) and in patients not using these medications (36.5% vs. 26.2%, P=0.0002). Patients not using systemic neuropathic pain medications reported a greater reduction in pain compared with patients using these medications in both, NGX-4010 and control groups, resulting in comparable treatment differences between NGX-4010 and control regardless of systemic neuropathic pain medication use. Similar results were seen during weeks 2 to 12, for the responder and PGIC analyses. Transient, capsaicin-related application site reactions were the most common adverse events and not affected by systemic neuropathic pain medication use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single 60-minute NGX-4010 treatment reduces PHN for up to 12 weeks regardless of concomitant systemic neuropathic pain medication use.
authors.affiliation: Swedish Pain Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon  A
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Irving
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Backonja
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rauck
authors.forename: Lynn R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: Jeffrey K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tobias
authors.forename: Geertrui F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Vanhove
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051474:Neuralgia, Postherpetic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D002211:Capsaicin