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Capsaicin patch reduces neuropathic pain of HIV-associated neuropathy
One 30-minute application of a capsaicin (8%) patch (NGX-4010, Qutenza, NeurogesX) can reduce neuropathic pain due to HIV-associated neuropathy, according to data presented here at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, in National Harbor, Md.
One 30-minute application of a capsaicin (8%) patch (NGX-4010, Qutenza, NeurogesX) can reduce neuropathic pain due to HIV-associated neuropathy (HIV-AN), according to data presented here at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, in National Harbor, Md.
“A significant percentage of patients are able to control their neuropathic pain from HIV-AN. There’s no one magic bullet across human medicine that has 100% success, but the data from this study [show] a fair majority of our patients could do things they could not do before because they’ve reduced the pain,” said co-author David M. Simpson, MD, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY.
This analysis included 2 randomized, double-blind controlled 12-week studies in 239 patients with moderate-to-severe pain in both feet secondary to HIV-AN lasting for at least 2 months. Patients received a topical anesthetic (lidocaine, 4%) for 60 minutes prior to treatment, and were then treated for 30 minutes with either the capsaicin patch or a control patch. They recorded their average pain each day during the 12-week study using the 11-point Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Patients also completed the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) at the end of the study period.
The percentage change in mean NPRS score from baseline to weeks 2 through 12 was significantly greater for patients treated with capsaicin compared with control (27.0% vs 15.7%, respectively; P=.0020). Overall, more patients’ conditions responded to treatment with capsaicin compared with control (39% vs 23%; P=.0051).
More patients treated with the capsaicin patch reported being much or very much improved on the PGIC compared with the control group (36% vs 22%; P=.0162). A significantly greater number of patients reported a ≥2 unit decrease in NPRS score when treated with capsaicin compared with control (37% vs 24%, respectively; P=.0284). Mild-to-moderate, transient application site pain and erythema were the most common adverse events.
This study was funded by NeurogenX.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.
