Endo: Skin Patch Shows Promise
NOV. 16 3:45 P.M. ET Drug maker Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. said Wednesday that data from a halted trial suggest its Lidoderm skin patch reduced low back pain among a greater number of patients than Pfizer Inc.'s Celebrex.
The study was stopped because of safety concerns surrounding Celebrex, which, along with Pfizer's Bextra drug and Merck & Co.'s Vioxx, has been linked to increased risk of heart attacks. Celebrex is the only of the three similar therapies -- which block an enzyme called Cox-2 -- that has not been pulled from the market.
Though the trial was stopped ahead of schedule, Endo said it analyzed data from the first four weeks which showed that about half of patients who received the Lidoderm patch experienced at least a 30 percent reduction in "average daily pain intensity." About 42 percent of Celebrex patients achieved the same reduction, according to Endo. Pfizer said the data was too limited to provide an adequate comparison.
The study was stopped because of safety concerns surrounding Celebrex, which, along with Pfizer's Bextra drug and Merck & Co.'s Vioxx, has been linked to increased risk of heart attacks. Celebrex is the only of the three similar therapies -- which block an enzyme called Cox-2 -- that has not been pulled from the market.
Though the trial was stopped ahead of schedule, Endo said it analyzed data from the first four weeks which showed that about half of patients who received the Lidoderm patch experienced at least a 30 percent reduction in "average daily pain intensity." About 42 percent of Celebrex patients achieved the same reduction, according to Endo. Pfizer said the data was too limited to provide an adequate comparison.
posted by Chris Placitella at 6:38 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home