Pfizer’s Lyrica Gains U.S. Approval for Spinal Pain

By Drew Armstrong and Catherine Larkin - 2012-06-21T20:28:38Z

Pfizer Inc. (PFE)s second-best selling drug, Lyrica, was approved by U.S. regulators today for use against pain caused by spinal cord injuries.

The Food and Drug Administration cleared the expanded use of Lyrica, already backed to treat nerve pain from fibromyalgia, diabetic nerve pain and pain after shingles, New York-based Pfizer, said today in a statement. Pfizer estimates a potential patient population size of about 100,000 people.

Until now, no FDA approved treatment options were available in the U.S. for people with neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury, a condition which can be extremely disabling, said Steven J. Romano, senior vice president and head of Pfizers medicines development group, Global Primary Care business unit, in the statement.

Lyrica is Pfizers best-selling drug after cholesterol pill Lipitor, which lost patent protection in November. It had $3.39 billion in revenue last year. The treatment has patent protection until 2018, and Pfizer is working to expand its use.

Pfizer declined less than 1 percent to $22.60 at the close in New York.

To contact the reporters on this story: Drew Armstrong in New York at darmstrong17@bloomberg.net; Catherine Larkin in Denver at clarkin4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reg Gale at rgale5@bloomberg.net

Lyrica, seen here, is Pfizers best-selling drug after cholesterol pill Lipitor.

Lyrica, seen here, is Pfizers best-selling drug after cholesterol pill Lipitor. Photographer: JB Reed/Bloomberg

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Pfizer’s Lyrica Gains U.S. Approval for Spinal Pain