Lola asked
I heard that an extended release Lyrica is coming out. How will it compare to regular Lyrica?
Answer
Lyrica CR (pregabalin extended-release) was approved by the FDA in October of this year. The drug manufacturer, Pfizer, also manufactures Lyrica capsules, which have been on the market since 2004. There are two primary differences between Lyrica and Lyrica CR. First, Lyrica CR is not FDA approved for treatment of fibromyalgia, unlike Lyrica. Second, Lyrica CR is approved to be taken once daily instead of twice or thrice daily.
Pfizer was motivated to produce a new formulation of Lyrica
because the FDA is expected to approve generic
Lyrica (pregabalin) sometime in 2018. This will significantly reduce the
market share for Pfizer’s product due to the enhanced competition and undercutting
of the price. Creating an extended release version of Lyrica allows them to give
patients a reason to stick with one of the branded products since it will allow
for improved convenience and patient compliance. Some patients find it
difficult to remember to take medications multiple times a day.
Why is Lyrica CR not
approved for fibromyalgia?
While Lyrica CR is approved for the other indications like
neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and
postherpetic neuralgia, it is not approved for treatment of fibromyalgia. This
is due to the type of
study that was used to approve this version of the medication. So far, Lyrica
CR was only studied in patients with postherpetic neuralgia. The FDA also
granted approval for diabetic peripheral neuropathy since both conditions are
similar.
How does the
manufacturer recommend switching from Lyrica to the extended-release version Lyrica
CR?
When switching from Lyrica capsules or oral solution to Lyrica CR tablets, Pfizer recommends to take the morning dose of Lyrica as prescribed, followed by starting Lyrica CR the same evening after a meal. If patients are on a stable dose of Lyrica, they may be switched to Lyrica CR by using the following conversion as provided by the package insert.
