Pfizer Inc has launched Lyrica (pregabalin) capsules c-v, a new prescription medication for the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and adjunctive treatment of partial onset seizures in adults with epilepsy, in US.

Developed by Pfizer, Lyrica has a newly defined mechanism of action and represents an important treatment advance. It is the first treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat two distinct forms of neuropathic pain, and is the first new antiepileptic drug introduced in five years, stated a release.

Neuropathic pain, one of the most debilitating forms of pain, is caused by nerve damage that can result from underlying conditions, such as diabetes or shingles. Nearly half of the 18 million Americans with diabetes will develop some form of diabetic neuropathy over the course of their disease. Some will develop painful DPN which is often described as burning, tingling, sharp, stabbing, or pins and needles in the feet, legs, hands or arms.

PHN is a complication of shingles, a painful outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin caused by a reactivation of the same virus that causes chicken pox (the herpes zoster virus). Each year, about 150,000 Americans develop PHN, which is often characterized as constant stabbing, burning, or electric shock-like sensation.