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FDA approves postherpetic neuralgia treatment
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The FDA has approved gabapentin enacarbil extended-release tablets for the management of postherpetic neuralgia, a neuropathic pain syndrome that follows the healing of herpes zoster.
The recommended dosage of gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant, GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort) for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia is 600 mg twice daily, according to a company press release. Treatment should start with 600 mg given in the morning for 3 days, followed by 600 mg twice daily. These doses should be adjusted for patients with impaired renal function.
The efficacy and safety of gabapentin encarbil was tested in a 12-week efficacy trial and two supportive studies. The three studies involved 574 patients and all met their primary endpoints. In the 12-week trial, somnolence and dizziness were the most frequently reported adverse events. Of the patients taking gabapentin enacarbil, 10% reported somnolence and 17% reported dizziness.