JEDDAH, 8 August 2007 — Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that is usually accompanied by poor sleep, stiffness and fatigue, has emerged as a common, yet difficult to treat disorder. Fibromyalgia is thought to result from neurological changes in how patients perceive pain, specifically a heightened sensitivity to stimuli that are not normally painful.
Sufferers also report experiencing deep tenderness, soreness and flu-like aching. The pain of fibromyalgia can hamper a patient’s ability to work and it often results in increased medical costs and disability.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a new treatment for a chronic pain condition in particular represents a major breakthrough, according to specialists in the field of pain management.
The announcement that the FDA has approved Lyrica (pregabalin) capsules for the management of fibromyalgia has been welcomed by physicians across Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the world treating the condition. Lyrica binds to a specific protein within overexcited nerve cells and works to calm damaged nerves.
“A major part of Pfizer’s strategy, both globally and within the Middle East region, is to look to develop treatments for conditions where there is a huge unmet medical need,” says Dr. Ahmed El Hakim, director at Pfizer’s external affairs and policy for the Middle East, told Arab News.
