Cymbalta cuts fibromyalgia pain severity

New data suggests that fibromyalgia sufferers treated with Eli Lilly's antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) experienced a greater reduction in pain severity than those given placebo. The trial, which recruited patients with and without depression, also demonstrating that the drug brought about greater benefits than placebo in terms of patient-assessed Global Impression of Improvement questionnaire scores.

The findings, which were presented at this year's congress of the International MYOPAIN society in Washington DC, showed that subjects who received either a 60mg or 120mg per day dose of Cymbalta for three months saw an average 30% reduction from baseline in Brief Pain Inventory Average Pain Score. Jon Russell, associate professor of medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, commented that "between 34% and 62% of those living with fibromyalgia will experience depression at some point in their lives."

Lilly also announced that it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration, seeking approval for the use of Cymbalta in the management of fibromyalgia. The sNDA includes data from the reported trial and other similar programs conducted last year (Marketletter May 15, 2006).