American Pain Society 2011

A 50-year-old male who presented with a 3-4 year history of burning pain to the plantar and dorsal aspects of his feet and big toes was successfully treated with an 8% capsaicin patch (Quetenza), according to a case report presented during the American Pain Society 30th Annual Scientific Meeting.

Patients with chronic low back pain treated with REC1100, a sublingual formulation of dexmedetomidine, showed a significant decrease in mean Visual Analog Scale of Pain (VASPain) scores two hours after dosing compared with those receiving placebo, investigators reported during the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting.

Sustained long-term efficacy and tolerability of milnacipran—in some cases, exceeding three years of continuous usage—is supported in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia, according to results of an open-label study presented during the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting.

Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) who were prescribed pregabalin and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) demonstrated a considerable comorbidity and pain medication burden, investigators reported during the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting. In fact, medication use and costs increased in the follow-up period for both cohorts.

Investigators reporting at the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting shared results of their study regarding musculoskeletal pain in sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Fulranumab, an investigational human recombinant monoclonal antibody (IgG2) to human nerve growth factor (NGF), improved pain and functioning in patients with inadequately controlled moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis pain of the hip and knee, according to results presented reported during the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting.

Controversy surrounds the issue of methadone-induced QTc-interval prolongation (QTcP or torsades de pointes), and just who should have EKG testing and when. According to study results presented at the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting, there is a dose-dependent effect on QTcP in patients taking <120mg/day of methadone compared with lower doses.

Investigators at the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting reported on a study of MoxDuo IR, a 3:2 fixed-dose capsule combination of morphine + oxycodone, in patients with moderate-to-severe pain following total knee arthroplasty.

Results of a study presented at the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting found that the prescription-strength capsaicin 8% patch, NGX-4010 (Qutenza), indicated for the management of postherpetic neuralgia, provided 3 months of relief.

Results of a post-hoc analysis presented at the American Pain Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Meeting demonstrated that tapentadol extended-release is associated with comparable analgesia and better gastrointestinal tolerability than oxycodone HCl controlled-release.