Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced today the results of studies on Lyrica®
(pregabalin) capsules CV presented at the American Pain Society Annual
Meeting in Honolulu. The studies included exploratory research designed
to provide new insight into how Lyrica works in the brains of patients
with fibromyalgia. A total of seven Lyrica abstracts were presented.
Pfizer and study investigators presented three abstracts from the first
study to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the
effects of Lyrica on brain activity in fibromyalgia patients. In this
exploratory study, Lyrica decreased connectivity between various parts
of the brain involved in pain processing, an important effect
considering that fibromyalgia patients have elevated intrinsic
connectivity. Additionally, the fMRI study suggested Lyrica reduced
visual activation or sensory stimulation that activates pain and affects
related brain regions in fibromyalgia patients. In an additional fMRI
analysis, Lyrica was found to affect grey matter density in parts of the
brain known to process pain. In this study, the most common adverse
event in Lyrica-treated patients was dizziness when compared with
placebo. The adverse event profile is consistent with that known for
Lyrica.
It has been hypothesized that the central nervous system (CNS) in
patients with fibromyalgia is hyper-sensitive to pain signals. These are
the first exploratory data using fMRI and Lyrica that suggests an
association between treatment and changes in central pain processing
pathways in FM patients.
"This is the first exploratory fMRI study to investigate the mechanism
of action of Lyrica in humans with fibromyalgia," said study
investigator Richard E. Harris, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department
of Anesthesiology and Research Assistant Professor, Department of
Internal Medicine, University of Michigan. "This exploratory study not
only shows how fibromyalgia affects the brain, it provides further
insights on how Lyrica may impact central pain processing pathways in
the brain."
Additional fMRI Study Details