Pfizer announced today that Lyrica (pregabalin) is now available for doctors to prescribe to patients. The drug is indicated for use for neuropathic pain and seizures, but has also shown to improve patients’ sleep patterns. A successor to Neurontin (gabapentin), the two drugs act similarly in the body. Of course the chemical structure is slightly different (and beyond my understanding), but one obvious difference is that Lyrica is more potent, which makes it effective at lower doses. This in turn decreases the likelihood of side effects.
The FDA won’t let Pfizer mention this, but Lyrica, like Neurontin, is likely to be prescribed to headache patients off-label. And, based on a conversation with my headache specialist, it’s a potentially exciting new option for prevention.
Even with his endorsement, I’m a little skeptical. You see, the FDA has approved the manufacturing of gabapentin as a generic. Once the generic is available, sales of Neurontin, also a Pfizer drug, will drop. Lyrica could become to Neurontin like Clarinex is to Claritin.
It’s too soon to tell if Lyrica will be a significant new drug for headache patients or if it will another name-brand moneymaker. For all our sakes, I’ve got my fingers crossed for the first option.
Some interesting details about the drug are also available.