Pfizer’s Lyrica Doesn’t Help Most Common Back Pain, Study Finds
This article is for subscribers only.
Pfizer Inc.’s best-selling drug, Lyrica, didn’t help patients with the most common cause of back pain any more than a placebo in a small study, casting doubt on the potential for doctors to expand the medication’s use.
In a trial of 29 people over the age of 50 with severe lumbar spinal stenosis, those given Lyrica saw no more improvement than with a placebo, according to research published yesterday in the journal Neurology. Lyrica, also known as pregabalin, is already used to treat pain caused by shingles and diabetes and for conditions including epilepsy, fibromyalgia and hot flashes.