Efficacy and Safety of Pregabalin for Fibromyalgia in a Population of Chinese Subjects

• Main Authors: Zhang X, Xu H, Zhang Z, Li Y, Pauer L, Liao S, Zhang F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2021-02-01
• Series: Journal of Pain Research
• Subjects: china; chronic pain; fm; lyrica; pain management; sleep
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/efficacy-and-safety-of-pregabalin-for-fibromyalgia-in-a-population-of--peer-reviewed-article-JPR

Xiao Zhang,1 Huji Xu,2 Zhiyi Zhang,3 Yang Li,4 Lynne Pauer,5 Shanmei Liao,6 Fengchun Zhang7 1Department of Rheumatology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Affiliated to Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China; 5Global Research and Development, Pfizer, Groton, CT, USA; 6Pfizer China Statistics Department, Global Innovative Pharma Business, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 7Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Fengchun ZhangPeking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax [phone]Email [e-mail]: Fibromyalgia (FM) may go underdiagnosed and untreated in China in part due to a lack of awareness and understanding of the condition, and limited available treatments.Patients and Methods: This randomized, double-blind, Phase III local registration trial compared the efficacy and safety of pregabalin (flexibly dosed 300– 450 mg/day) versus placebo for the management of pain in Chinese adults diagnosed with FM according to American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria, across 22 centers within China. Patients reported pain score of ≥ 40 mm on 100-mm scale (from 0 “no pain” to 100 “worst possible pain”). The primary efficacy endpoint was change from baseline to Week 14 in mean pain score (MPS). Secondary endpoints included measures of sleep and sleep interference. Safety and tolerability were monitored throughout.Results: Median pregabalin dose was 335 mg/day. A significant reduction from baseline to Week 14 in weekly MPS was seen for patients treated with pregabalin (n=170) versus placebo (n=164) (least-squares mean difference [95% confidence interval]: – 0.73 [– 1.10 to – 0.36]; P=0.0001). Significantly greater proportions of patients experienced ≥ 30% and ≥ 50% reductions in MPS at Week 14 with pregabalin versus placebo. Pregabalin-treated subjects demonstrated improvements in measures of sleep and sleep interference. Pregabalin was generally well tolerated. The most common adverse events were dizziness and somnolence; no serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred in pregabalin-treated subjects. Nine placebo-treated subjects experienced SAEs.Conclusion: Pregabalin (300– 450 mg/day) is a safe and effective treatment for reducing pain and improving sleep in native Chinese subjects with FM.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01387607.Keywords: China, chronic pain, FM, Lyrica, pain management, sleep