Shingles News and Research

RSS

Shingles (herpes zoster) is an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox — the varicella-zoster virus. The first sign of shingles is often burning or tingling pain, or sometimes numbness or itch, in one particular location on only one side of the body.

Anesthetic-loaded liposomes can delay onset of neuropathic pain

Using tiny spheres filled with an anesthetic derived from a shellfish toxin, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a way to delay the rise of neuropathic pain, a chronic form of pain that arises from flawed signals transmitted by damaged nerves.

10 Oct 2012

Shingles becoming more common in Australia

The herpes zoster virus, which causes shingles, is becoming more common as the population ages. In Australia the number of cases has doubled between 2000 and 2010. Hospital emergency departments report a 2–6% increase in cases per year.

28 Sep 2012

Cancer fears allayed for shingles patients

Herpes zoster infection, or shingles, is not associated with cancer, show results from a study published in the Canadian Journal of Medicine

21 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 11, 2012

Today's headlines explore how, based on his recent comments, Mitt Romney's health law replacement goals could become tricky.

11 Sep 2012

Zalicus commences first of two Z160 Phase 2a clinical studies for chronic neuropathic pain

Zalicus Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops novel treatments for patients suffering from pain and immuno-inflammatory diseases, today announced that it has initiated the first of two Phase 2a clinical studies with Z160, its first-in-class, oral, state-dependent, selective N-type calcium channel blocker for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain indications.

5 Sep 2012

Positive results from Spinifex’s EMA401 Phase 2 trial on postherpetic neuralgia

Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, an Australian pain drug development company, today announces positive headline results from the Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead product, EMA401, in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a painful condition that develops in some patients following herpes zoster (shingles) and where existing therapy does not relieve pain in all individuals.

28 Aug 2012

Pfizer’s Lyrica does not affect reproductive function in healthy males

Pfizer Inc. announced today that top-line results for Lyrica (pregabalin) capsules CV Study A0081104 - Assessment of the Impact of Lyrica on Sperm Production in Healthy Volunteers - demonstrate that Lyrica does not affect the reproductive function in healthy males when compared to placebo.

24 Jul 2012

Once-daily Gralise significantly reduces pain intensity in PHN patients

Depomed, Inc. today announced that a report of Phase 3 data published online this month, ahead of the print edition, in the Clinical Journal of Pain showed that once-daily Gralise (gabapentin) tablets (1,800 mg) formulation significantly reduces intensity of pain in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

23 Jul 2012

Top-line results in Pfizer's Lyrica long term safety study for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Pfizer Inc. announced today that top-line results for Lyrica (pregabalin) capsules Study A0081147 - Long Term Safety and Efficacy of Pregabalin in Subjects with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - demonstrate that drug discontinuation symptoms were low after tapering Lyrica treatment following three months and six months in GAD patients.

23 Jul 2012

Delaware district court upholds Pfizer's patents for LYRICA to treat pain and seizures

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the United States District Court for the District of Delaware upheld its composition of matter patent and pain and seizure use patents covering LYRICA (pregabalin) capsules CV. With this decision, Pfizer will exclusively provide pregabalin as LYRICA to patients through December 30, 2018 in the U.S., pending generic company appeal and further litigation.

20 Jul 2012

Herpes zoster vaccine recommendations questioned in patients on biologics

Administration of the live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine is not associated with an increased risk for shingles shortly after vaccination in patients receiving biologic treatments for immune-mediated diseases, researchers report in JAMA.

10 Jul 2012

Live zoster vaccine associated with reduced risk of HZ in patients with immune-mediated diseases

Although some have suggested that patients receiving medication for immune-mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis may be at increased risk of herpes zoster (HZ; shingles) shortly after receipt of the vaccine, an analysis that included nearly 20,000 vaccinated Medicare beneficiaries finds that the live zoster vaccine is not associated with an increased risk of HZ shortly after vaccination in patients currently treated with biologics, and that it is associated with a significantly reduced longer-term risk of HZ in patients with an immune-mediated disease, according to a study in the July 4 issue of JAMA.

4 Jul 2012

Shingles vaccine may not increase risk of varicella in people with auto-immune diseases

New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham casts doubt on the long-standing belief that the vaccine for shingles should not be given to patients taking biologics for auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

4 Jul 2012

Pfizer receives FDA approval for Lyrica to manage neuropathic pain associated with SCI

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Lyrica (pregabalin) capsules CV for the management of neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury.

22 Jun 2012

Anti-TNFs increase risk for herpes zoster infections in IRD patients

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases who are treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor medications are significantly more likely to experience herpes zoster infections than those treated with traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, study results show.

15 Jun 2012

Rheumatism drugs may increase shingles risk

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease treated with one of the most effective medicines for their disease face a substantially increased risk for developing shingles, warn European researchers who suggest vaccination may be an option.

15 Jun 2012

Anti-TNFs increase risk of shingles in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor medications (anti-TNFs) have a 75% greater risk of developing herpes zoster, or shingles, than patients treated with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to a meta-analysis presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism.

8 Jun 2012

FDA approves XenoPort, GSK’s Horizant ER tablets for management of PHN

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) and XenoPort, Inc. announced today that the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) Extended-Release Tablets for the management of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults.

7 Jun 2012

BioLineRx receives two U.S. patent allowances for BL-1021 to treat neuropathic pain

BioLineRx, a biopharmaceutical development company, announced today that two Notices of Allowance have been issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for BL-1021, an orally available small molecule for treating neuropathic pain.

6 Jun 2012

Risk of recurrent shingles episode is relatively low: Study

People who have had an episode of herpes zoster, also known as shingles, face a relatively low short-term risk of developing shingles, according to a Kaiser Permanente Southern California study published online in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. These findings suggest that among people with immune systems that have not been compromised, the risk of a second shingles episode is low.

5 Jun 2012