FDA approves Pfizer's Lyrica for fibromyalgia

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved world drug giant Pfizer's Lyrica (pregabalin), making it the first treatment for fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by pain, fatigue and sleep problems.

Fibromyalgia patients typically experience long-lasting or chronic pain, as well as muscle stiffness and tenderness. The condition affects about three million to six million people in the USA each year, and mostly strikes women in early-to-middle adulthood. Studies have shown that patients have decreased pain after taking Lyrica, although the mechanism by which the drug produces this effect is unknown. The agent is already approved for treating partial seizures, pain following the rash of shingles and pain associated with diabetic neuropathy.