UK Crisis Grows Over Pregabalin Misuse

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Nearly 3,400 people in the UK have died from overdoses involving pregabalin in the last five years, according to an investigation by The Sunday Times.

One of them was a young man named Alex Cottam, who spiraled into drug abuse, addiction and a fatal overdose after he started taking pregabalin for anxiety and depression.   

“It’s hard to imagine somebody’s whole life revolved around a pill, but it did,” said Cottam’s mother, Michelle. “It completely changed him, like it was an obsession.”

The Sunday Times’ story about Cottam and other pregabalin users sparked a frenzy in British tabloids about the growing misuse of the drug.

“Our Pregabalin nightmare” was the headline in the Daily Mail, which shared the story of a woman with arthritis who said she “felt like I was losing my mind” after taking the drug for six months. Another woman told the tabloid she began seeing “dead people” within 30 minutes of her first dose.  

In a first-person account published in The Telegraph, Miranda Levy wrote about the severe withdrawal she experienced when she stopped taking pregabalin for depression.

“First came the pins and needles, closely followed by the sweating,” said Levy. “Add to this the progression of unremitting nausea, retching, diarrhea, jitteriness, dizziness so bad you can’t stand up and the feeling you’re about to die.”

Pregabalin – commonly known as the brand name Lyrica -- was never intended to treat anxiety, depression or arthritis. It was originally developed as an anticonvulsant that was first approved by the FDA in 2004 as a treatment for epilepsy. Since then it has been prescribed for dozens of painful conditions such as fibromyalgia and diabetic neuropathy, and is sometimes hailed as a “wonder drug” that is safer than opioids.

Pregabalin has helped some pain patients, but for many it’s also had severe side effects such as fatigue, insomnia and cognitive decline. Margaret Heath started taking pregabalin two years ago for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and says it ruined her life.

"I've been on every type of morphine you can be put on... this is by far and away the worse drug to be on. It's worse than fentanyl. There is absolutely no comparison with the viciousness of the withdrawal of pregabalin," Heath told LBC News. "There would be days where I would not be able to do anything except lie there... it was debilitating."

Nearly nine million prescriptions for pregabalin were written in the US in 2021, the last year for which data is available. A similar number were written in England and Wales the following year, despite growing concerns in the UK that pregabalin is being misused to boost the euphoric effects of other drugs.

Pregabalin has become so popular with illicit drug users that it frequently appears in overdose toxicology reports. The number of fatal overdoses in the UK involving pregabalin has risen by nearly 11,000% since 2011, followed by a 3,275% increase in gabapentin-related drug deaths.    

UK Drugs With Biggest % Increase in Deaths (2011-2022)

DAILY MAIL GRAPHIC

Pregabalin and gabapentin (Neurontin) belong in a class of nerve medication known as gabapentinoids. Their mechanism of action – how they affect the brain and central nervous system – is still unclear two decades after their medical use was approved.

The UK drug statistics are mirrored in a recent analysis of drug tests in the US, which found gabapentin in over 13% of urine samples that tested positive for fentanyl. That’s about twice the number of drug tests in which prescription opioids were found.

Just because a drug is “involved” in an overdose or appears in a drug test doesn’t necessarily mean that drug caused the overdose or is a red flag for addiction. But experts say its long past time for doctors to be more careful about prescribing pregabalin, and to warn patients about potential side effects and the risk of withdrawal.

“How can there be rising deaths from pregabalin and a huge explosion of prescriptions, with all these troubles, and yet doctors are using this drug to treat anxiety?” asks Dr. Mark Horowitz, a clinical research fellow at the UK’s National Health Service.

“Doctors are selling cars without brakes,” Horowitz told The Sunday Times. “It boggles the mind when a drug is showing all these dangers to then use it on a wider variety of people.”

Gabapentinoids Still Overprescribed Despite Warnings

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Despite warnings that they are overprescribed for conditions they were never intended to treat, the use of gabapentinoids continues to grow in the United States.

Pregabalin (Lyrica) and gabapentin (Neurontin) are both gabapentinoids, a class of nerve medication initially developed to treat epileptic seizures. Sales of Lyrica and Neurontin tripled a decade ago, when they were touted as safer alternatives to opioids and prescribed off-label for a variety of pain conditions.

In 2018, Michael Johansen, MD, a researcher and family medicine physician, was one of the first to warn that gabapentinoids were being overprescribed, despite little of evidence of their safety and efficacy for pain conditions. Johansen was particularly concerned the drugs were being given to older adults who were long-time users of opioids and benzodiazepines, a class of anti-anxiety medication.

Not much has changed, according to a new research study by Johansen. Using data from a large national survey, Johansen found that 4.7% of U.S. adults were prescribed a gabapentinoid in 2021, up from 4% in 2015 – a statistically significant increase of 17.5% in six years. The growth was primarily driven by gabapentin, as there was little change in pregabalin’s use.

As Johansen found in his earlier study, gabapetinoid use was much more likely in patients who were co-prescribed opioids, muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines or anti-depressants for chronic pain or mental health conditions. The likelihood of a patient being prescribed a gabapentinoid also rises sharply after age 50.

“Gabapentinoids continue to be commonly used in conjunction with other sedating medications, which is concerning in light of the US Food and Drug Administration’s 2019 warning about co-prescribing of gabapentinoids with other central nervous system depressants,” Johansen reported in the Annals of Family Medicine. “Gabapentinoids are likely used for an array of conditions, with the majority being off-label uses for chronic pain with minimal evidence supporting use.”

Despite those warnings, gabapentinoids — gabapentin in particular — are still being promoted as a treatment for all sorts of things, from dental pain to alcoholism to improving your sex life. Gabapentin has been pitched for so many different conditions that a drug company executive infamously called it “snake oil.”

Gabapentin is FDA-approved for epilepsy and neuropathic pain caused by shingles, but is often prescribed off-label for depression, ADHD, migraine, fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder and postoperative pain.  Pregabalin is approved for diabetic nerve pain, fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia caused by shingles and spinal cord injuries, but is also prescribed off-label for other types of pain.

Many patients report side-effects from gabapentinoids, such as weight gain, blurred vision, dizziness, sedation and cognitive issues. There are also an increasing number of reports that the drugs are being abused and sold on the street to boost the potency of illicit drugs.

“Reports of gabapentinoid abuse alone, and with opioids, have emerged and there are serious consequences of this co-use, including respiratory depression and increased risk of opioid overdose death,” Douglas Throckmorton, MD, a top FDA official said when the agency released  its 2019 warning.  

A 2019 study found little evidence that gabapentinoids should be used off-label to treat pain and said their effectiveness was often exaggerated by prescribing guidelines. The CDC’s 2016 opioid guideline recommended gabapentin and pregabalin dozens of times as alternatives to opioids, without saying a word about their abuse or side effects.

The CDC’s 2022 revised opioid guideline takes a more cautious approach, saying gabapentin and pregabalin can have “small to moderate improvements” on pain, but were associated with a moderate risk of adverse events. Evidence on their long-term use was also lacking, according to the CDC.  

Gabapentin and Pregabalin Only ‘Modestly Effective’ for Pain

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

A new review of clinical studies on the use of gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) in pain management found the drugs are only “modestly effective” and could be risky for some pain patients.

Gabapentin and pregabalin belong to a class of nerve medication called gabapentinoids, which were originally developed as anticonvulsants to treat epileptic seizures. In recent years, however, they have been increasingly prescribed off-label as an alternative to opioids in managing pain. About one in five U.S. adults with chronic pain are prescribed a gabapentinoid.  

"Treating pain has been problematic for a long time, and we're still dealing with the fallout from opioid overuse," says lead author Craig Williams, PharmD, a clinical professor at Oregon State University College of Pharmacy. "Gabapentinoids are modestly effective for certain patients; they are rarely extremely effective, and they are not effective at all for some patients because the mechanisms of the pain don't match up with the mechanisms of the drug.

"Doctors who prescribe gabapentinoids for pain should do so with their eyes wide open and be prepared to stop them if they are ineffective or cause too many side effects."

The study findings, published in the journal Drugs, found that many of the clinical trials for gabapentin and pregabalin were of short duration, had a small number of participants, and performed only slightly better than placebos in reducing pain. Many patients who take the medications also report side effects such as dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, mood swings and weight gain.

"Treating pain is about making patients more functional so they can live their lives better, and if they have to deal with adverse effects for a little pain relief, their lives may not be improving," said Williams.

Pregabalin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for four pain conditions: post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles), diabetic peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord injury, and fibromyalgia. Gabapentin has only been approved by the FDA for post-herpetic neuralgia.

Despite the limits on their uses, many doctors legally prescribe the drugs “off-label” for pain conditions such as migraines, back pain, post-operative pain and even dental pain. Gabapentin was once derisively referred to as “snake oil” by a pharmaceutical executive because it is so widely prescribed for so many different pain conditions, despite weak evidence.

"In addition, we found that the trials used by the FDA to approve gabepentinoids for pain indications had a couple of key structural weaknesses," Williams said. "The trials tended to be short, typically lasting one to three months, and the trials typically excluded the simultaneous use of other medications that affect the central nervous system. That's important because patients taking gabepentinoids are rarely taking them exclusively; they're often prescribed in conjunction with opioids, muscle relaxants or other epilepsy drugs."

Gabapentin can cause euphoria and feelings of intoxication, and make the effect of opioids and other drugs seem stronger. A 2019 study linked gabapentin to a growing number of attempted suicides.

That same year, the FDA warned that gabapentin and pregabalin may cause serious breathing problems and respiratory depression, especially in older adults. A recent study found that gabapentin raises the risk of delirium in older adults recovering from surgery.

UK Warns Pregnant Women About Taking Pregabalin

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Health officials in the UK are warning women of childbearing age that pregabalin (Lyrica), a drug commonly prescribed for pain, anxiety and epilepsy, raises the risk of major birth defects.

A recent study in four Nordic countries of over 2,700 pregnancies found that 5.6% of babies born to women who took pregabalin in the first three months of pregnancy had birth abnormalities. That compares to 4.1% of babies whose mothers did not use pregabalin.  

“The study showed that taking pregabalin during early pregnancy was associated with a slightly increased chance of having a baby who is born with a physical birth abnormality. It is important to note that this study could not show that pregabalin was the cause of the physical birth abnormalities,” the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in a new safety alert.

The birth defects associated with pregabalin primarily involved the nervous system, eyes, face, urinary system and genitals. The MHRA – which regulates drugs in the UK – cautioned pregnant women not to stop taking pregabalin without talking to a doctor first.

“If you think you may be pregnant and are currently taking pregabalin, you should set up an appointment with your GP, specialist or nurse at your earliest opportunity, to discuss any concerns you may have. However, do continue to take pregabalin as prescribed until you can speak to them,” the MHRA alert said. “Untreated epilepsy, pain, or anxiety could be harmful to you and your unborn baby. It is important that you talk to your healthcare professional before stopping pregabalin or making any changes to your usual medicines.”

An international study in 2016 also linked pregabalin to birth defects. Women taking pregabalin were found to be six times more likely to have a baby with a major birth defect, including abnormalities in the heart, central nervous system (CNS) and other organs.

Pregabalin Concerns

In recent years, pregabalin has come under increased scrutiny in the UK.  In 2021, the MHRA said pregabalin was associated with serious breathing problems in people over age 65 and in patients with compromised respiratory systems.

Doctors in Northern Ireland were also told last year not to prescribe pregabalin for neuropathic pain due to a “significant increase” in drug-related deaths involving the drug.

In 2019, pregabalin and gabapentin (Neurontin) were both rescheduled as Class C drugs in the UK due to a rising number of overdose deaths. Health experts said the medications cause “an elevated mood in users” and could have serious side effects when combined with other drugs.

Lyrica and Neurontin are two of Pfizer’s top selling drugs and generate billions of dollars in annual sales. They belong to a class of nerve medication called gabapentinoids that were originally developed to treat seizures, but are now widely prescribed as an alternative to opioid painkillers. A 2019 study found little evidence that gabapentinoids should be used to treat pain and said their effectiveness was often exaggerated by prescribing guidelines.

In the United States, where Lyrica is approved for fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, seizures and postherpetic neuralgia, the FDA’s lengthy warning label states that “there are no adequate and well-controlled studies with Lyrica in pregnant women,” but at the same time cautions that “Lyrica may harm your unborn baby.”  

An earlier warning label said it was “not known if Lyrica will harm your unborn baby.”

Gabapentinoids Riskier for Surgery Patients

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Another study is casting doubt on the use of gabapentinoids such as Lyrica (pregabalin) and Neurontin (gabapentin) for pain relief during and after surgery.

Gabapentioids are a class of nerve medication originally developed to treat convulsions, but the drugs are increasingly being used as a trendy alternative to opioids for acute and chronic pain. Some U.S. hospitals are even using gabapentinoids for surgical pain and have phased out or reduced the use of opioids.

In an analysis of over 5 million adults admitted for major surgery in the U.S. from 2007 to 2017, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that using gabapentinoids with opioids increases the risk of overdose, respiratory depression and other adverse events. Researchers say the additional risk was “extremely low” and would result in one additional overdose for every 16,000 patients.

“Our findings add to the growing evidence that gabapentinoids can potentiate the respiratory depressant effects of opioids,” researchers reported in JAMA Network Open. “The events were rare… (but) patients receiving multimodal pain management therapy that includes gabapentinoids should be closely monitored for possible respiratory depression.”

The study did not examine whether gabapentiniods were effective in treating surgical pain or if they improved the analgesic effect of opioids.

In an editorial also published in JAMA Network Open, a pain management expert said more studies were needed to see if gabapentiniods were worth the additional risk.

“The evidence in support of the analgesic benefit of gabapentinoids combined with opioids for postoperative analgesia is equivocal; there is no real support that adding gabapentinoids to opioid pain relievers offers additive, much less synergistic, enhancements to pain control,” wrote Joseph Pergolizzi, Jr, MD, Chief Operating Officer of NEMA Research.  

“Considering that combination analgesic regimens generally reduce overall opioid consumption, this study is important because it shows that this may not necessarily translate to reducing opioid-associated adverse events. As combination analgesia gains traction for in-hospital acute painful conditions, such as postsurgical pain, it is important to be guided by evidence rather than intuition.”

No Significant Analgesic Effect

A recent study by Canadian researchers also found little evidence to support the use of gabapentinoids for surgical pain.

“No clinically significant analgesic effect for the perioperative use of gabapentinoids was observed. There was also no effect on the prevention of postoperative chronic pain and a greater risk of adverse events,” wrote lead author Michael Verret, MD, a resident at Laval University in Quebec City.  

These and other findings contradict guidelines published by the American Pain Society in 2016, which advocate “around the clock” use of gabapentin, pregabalin and other non-opioid drugs both before and after surgery.

The risk of becoming addicted or dependent on opioids after surgery is actually quite low. A 2016 study found that only 0.4% of elderly patients who were prescribed opioids for post-operative pain were still using them a year after their surgeries. Another study by Harvard researchers found that only 0.2% of surgery patients prescribed opioids were later diagnosed with opioid dependence, abuse or a non-fatal overdose.

Gabapentinoids Involved in a Third of Overdoses in Scotland

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

A new study in Scotland is shining more light on the risks of overprescribing gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica). The two drugs belong to a class of nerve medication called gabapentinoids, which are increasingly prescribed in Western nations to treat chronic pain.

In 2018, there were 1,187 accidental drug-related deaths (DRDs) in Scotland – the highest overdose rate in the European Union — and gabapentinoids were involved in about a third of them.

According to research published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, gabapentin was implicated in 15.2% of fatal overdoses in Scotland, while pregabalin was linked to 16.5% of drug deaths. That’s up from 3% and 1% of fatal overdoses, respectively, in 2012.

Researchers say deaths involving gabapentinoids are rising because they are frequently co-prescribed with opioids and other medications that depress the central nervous system and raise the risk of overdose. Drug diversion also plays a role.

“Gabapentinoid prescribing has increased dramatically since 2006, as have dangerous co-prescribing and death. Older people, women, and those living in deprived areas were particularly likely to receive prescriptions. Their contribution to DRDs may be more related to illegal use with diversion of prescribed medication,” wrote lead author Nicola Torrance, PhD, Senior Research Fellow at the School of Nursing & Midwifery, Robert Gordon University, in Aberdeen, Scotland.

From 2006 to 2016, the number of pregabalin prescriptions in Scotland rose by an astounding 1,600 percent, while prescriptions for gabapentin quadrupled. About 60% of the time, gabapentin was co-prescribed with an opioid, benzodiazepines or both.  

Gabapentinoids are also showing up in Scotland’s illicit drug supply. Drug users have found they can heighten the effects of heroin, marijuana, cocaine and other substances. In the Scottish region of Tayside, gabapentinoids were involved in 39% of drug deaths. About three out of four of those overdose victims did not have a prescription for the drug.

In addition to overdoses, gabapentinoids have also been associated with increased risk of suicidal behavior, accidental injuries, traffic accidents and violent crime. UK health officials were so alarmed by misuse of the drugs and the rising number of deaths that gabapentin and pregabalin were reclassified as controlled substances in 2019.

Gabapentin is not currently scheduled as a federally controlled substance in the United States, but pregabalin is classified as a Schedule V controlled substance, meaning it has low potential for addiction and abuse.  

A 2019 clinical review found little evidence that gabapentinoids should be used off-label to treat pain and that prescribing guidelines often exaggerate their effectiveness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also recently warned that serious breathing problems can occur in patients who take gabapentin or pregabalin with opioids or other drugs that depress the central nervous system.

FDA Warns of Serious Breathing Problems Caused by Gabapentinoids

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that serious breathing problems can occur in patients who use gabapentin or pregabalin with opioids or other drugs that depress the central nervous system. The elderly and patients with lung problems are at higher risk when they use the drugs, according to an FDA drug safety communication.

The advisory is the latest in a series of warnings about gabapentinoids, a class of nerve medication increasingly prescribed as an alternative to opioid painkillers. There are growing reports of gabapentinoids being abused or raising the risk of overdose and suicide.

“Reports of gabapentinoid abuse alone, and with opioids, have emerged and there are serious consequences of this co-use, including respiratory depression and increased risk of opioid overdose death,” Douglas Throckmorton, MD, deputy director for Regulatory Programs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

“In response to these concerns, we are requiring updates to labeling of gabapentinoids to include new warnings of potential respiratory depressant effects. We are also requiring the drug manufacturers to conduct clinical trials to further evaluate the abuse potential of gabapentinoids, particularly in combination with opioids, with special attention being given to assessing the respiratory depressant effects.”

Gabapentinoid products include gabapentin, which is marketed under the brand name Neurontin, and pregabalin, which is marketed as Lyrica. Generic versions of the drugs are also available.

Gabapentinoids were originally developed to prevent seizures, but their use has tripled over the past 15 years. The drugs are approved to treat a variety of chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, neuropathy and shingles. They are also widely prescribed off-label.

According to the FDA, over 13 million people filled a prescription for gabapentin in 2016, while over 2 million patients were prescribed pregabalin. Nearly one in five of those patients were also taking opioids.

“Pairing an opioid with any CNS depressant – a gabapentinoid, benzodiazepine, sedating antidepressant, sedating antipsychotic, antihistamine, or other product – will increase the risk of respiratory depression. Shifting treatment from one CNS depressant to another may pose similar risks,” the FDA said.

A Dozen Deaths

The agency said it received 49 case reports of serious breathing problems in patients taking gabapentinoids, including 12 people who died from respiratory depression. It’s advising doctors, caregivers and patients taking gabapentinoids to be alert for signs of confusion, disorientation, dizziness, sleepiness, slow or shallow breathing, unresponsiveness, or bluish-colored lips, fingers and toes.

A 2018 study by Australian researchers found that gabapentinoids often had side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness and nausea. Another study found that combining gabapentin with opioids significantly raises the risk of dying from an overdose. And a recent analysis of calls to U.S. poison control centers found a significant increase in suicide attempts involving gabapentin.

There have also been increasing reports of gabapentin and pregabalin being abused by illicit drug users, who have learned they can use the medications to heighten the high from heroin, marijuana, cocaine and other substances.

A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found little evidence that gabapentinoids should be used off-label to treat pain and said their effectiveness was often exaggerated by prescribing guidelines. The CDC’s 2016 opioid guideline recommends gabapentin and pregabalin dozens of times as alternatives to opioids, without saying a word about their abuse or side effects.

“Our goal in issuing today’s new safety labeling change requirements is to ensure health care professionals and the public understand the risks associated with gabapentinoids when taken with central nervous system depressants like opioids or by patients with underlying respiratory impairment. However, we do not want to unintentionally increase opioid use by turning prescribers away from this class of pain medications,” Throckmorton said.

Are You Paying Too Much for Pregabalin?

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

It didn’t take long for cheaper generic versions of pregabalin to take a bite out of Pfizer’s monopoly of Lyrica, a drug widely used to treat fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy and other types of chronic pain.

Last month the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave approval to rival drug makers to begin selling generic pregabalin after Pfizer’s patent on Lyrica expired. According to FiercePharma, Pfizer lost about a third of the market for pregabalin to 16 competitors by the end of July.  

It’s not hard to see why. According to Healthcare Bluebook, a 60-day supply of 75mg Lyrica sells for a “fair price” of $472. That compares to generic versions that sell for about $28.

“The price that most patients pay is set by insurers. The cost difference for patients between brand-name Lyrica and generic pregabalin may vary depending on the patients’ insurance plan, the state in which their prescription is filled, or the pharmacy where they pick up their prescription,” said Steven Danehy, a Pfizer spokesman.

As of August 9, Lyrica still had about 43% of the market for pregabalin, but that’s likely to change as patients, doctors and insurers became more aware of the significant difference in price.

Pregabalin is approved by the FDA for the treatment of pain associated with shingles, spinal cord injury, fibromyalgia, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. It is also commonly prescribed "off label" for other types of chronic pain.

Pregabalin is a Schedule V controlled substance, which means it has a low potential for abuse. In recent years, however, there is growing concern that pregabalin and its sister drug gabapentin (Neurontin) are being abused and overprescribed.

The drugs, which belong to a class of nerve medication called gabapentinoids, were originally developed to treat epilepsy, not pain. Prescriptions for gabapentinoids have tripled over the past 15 years as more doctors prescribed them as “safer” alternatives to opioids.

Deaths involving gabapentinoids have increased in the UK, Australia and Canada, where some addicts have learned the drugs can heighten the euphoric effect of heroin and other opioids. The drugs were recently classified as controlled substances in the UK.

FDA Approves First Generics for Lyrica

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic versions of Lyrica (pregabalin), a medication widely prescribed for the treatment of fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy and other types of chronic pain.

Lyrica has been a blockbuster drug for Pfizer since its approval in 2004, generating revenue of $4.6 billion annually. The recent expiration of Pfizer’s patent on Lyrica opened the door to much cheaper generic competitors.

A one year supply of Lyrica currently costs about $2,800 in the United States, according to Healthcare Bluebook, while a similar dose of pregabalin under the UK’s National Health Service costs about $74.

“Today’s approval of the first generics for pregabalin, a widely-used medication, is another example of the FDA’s longstanding commitment to advance patient access to lower cost, high-quality generic medicines,” Janet Woodcock, MD, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

“The FDA requires that generic drugs meet rigorous scientific and quality standards. Efficiently bringing safe and effective generics to market so patients have more options to treat their conditions is a top priority for the FDA.”

The FDA granted approvals for generic pregabalin to 9 drug makers: Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Alkem Laboratories, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, InvaGen Pharmaceuticals, MSN Laboratories, Rising Pharmaceuticals, Sciegen Pharmaceuticals, and Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Pfizer’s patent for Lyrica CR — an extended released version of Lyrica — remains in effect until April, 2021.

Side Effects

The most common side effects for Lyrica are dizziness, somnolence, dry mouth, swelling, blurred vision, weight gain and difficulty concentrating. Lyrica’s warning label also cautions users that the drug may cause suicidal thoughts in about 1 in 500 people.

Pregabalin is classified as Schedule V controlled substance in the U.S., which means it has a low potential for abuse. In recent years, however, there is growing concern that pregabalin and its sister drug gabapentin (Neurontin) are being abused and overprescribed. The drugs were recently classified as controlled substances in the UK.

Pregabalin and gabapentin were originally developed to prevent epileptic seizures, but their use has tripled over the past 15 years as more doctors prescribed them off-label as “safer” alternatives to opioids.

A recent study in the British Medical Journal found the drugs increase the risk of suicide, overdose and traffic accidents in younger people. The risks were strongest for those taking pregabalin and were most pronounced among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24. Patients aged 55 and older taking gabapentinoids were not at greater risk.

Drug Maker Payments May Influence Gabapentinoid Prescribing

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

There is growing attention being paid to doctors who accept money from pharmaceutical companies. A recent study, for example, found that doctors who receive direct payments from opioid manufacturers tend to prescribe more opioid medication than doctors who receive no such payments.

But another new study shows the same is true for doctors who prescribe an expensive class of non-opioid drugs that are widely used “off label” to treat chronic pain.

Researchers at Yale University and the University of Connecticut looked at Medicare Part D prescribing data for gabapentinoids from 2014 to 2016, comparing it with payments made to doctors from gabapentin manufacturers. Over the study period, about 51,000 physicians received $11.5 million from the drug makers, mostly for meals, beverages and gifts.

The researchers found that doctors who received the payments were more likely to prescribe a brand name gabapentinoid such as Lyrica (Pfizer), Gralise (Assertio) or Horizant (Arbor). These brand name drugs cost several hundred dollars for a one-month supply, compared to less than $20 for a one-month supply of a generic version. 

“Among physicians who prescribed gabapentinoids, receipt of payments from industry was associated with a higher likelihood of prescribing brand-name products than generic gabapentin,” researchers reported in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“Our findings raise concerns about the reasons some physicians prescribe brand-name gabapentinoids and not less-expensive generic alternatives.”

Generic drugs are generally just as effective as brand name drugs, but the differences in cost can be significant. For a Medicare beneficiary in 2016, about $2,500 a year was spent on a brand name gabapentin vs. just $89 for a generic version of the same drug.

“All of these studies have essentially the same finding -- that marketing to physicians is associated with increased sales of a company’s product and increased Medicare expenditures,” Robert Steinbrook, MD, UC San Francisco School of Medicine, wrote in a JAMA editorial.

“Association studies do not establish cause and effect, they do not account for other influences on prescribing, such as direct-to-consumer advertising, and they do not assess the appropriateness of prescriptions for individual patients. Nonetheless, the pattern is indisputable.”

Does your doctor accept industry payments? You can see for yourself on Medicare’s Open Payments database.

In addition to the costs involved, there is growing awareness that gabapentinoids are over-prescribed and not as effective for some chronic pain conditions.

The drugs were originally developed to prevent epileptic seizures, but their use has tripled over the past 15 years as more doctors prescribed them off label for a wide variety of pain conditions.

“Our findings raise concerns about the reasons some physicians prescribe brand-name gabapentinoids and not less-expensive generic alternatives.”

— JAMA Internal Medicine study

“Gabapentinoids have become frequent first-line alternatives in patients with chronic pain from whom opioids are being withheld or withdrawn, as well as in patients with acute pain who traditionally received short courses of low-dose opioid,” wrote Christopher Goodman, MD, and Allan Brett, MD, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, in a recent clinical review in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“The evidence to support off-label gabapentinoid use for most painful clinical conditions is limited. For some conditions, no well-performed controlled trials exist.”

Goodman and Brett said the 2016 CDC opioid guideline reinforces “an inflated view of gabapentinoid effectiveness” by asserting they are “first-line drugs” for neuropathic pain. Many patients who take gabapetinoids have side-effects such as dizziness or drowsiness, and there are increasing reports that the drugs are being abused and sold on the street.   

Gabapentinoids Raise Risk of Suicide and Overdose in Younger People

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Gabapentinoids – a class of nerve medication widely prescribed to treat chronic pain – increase the risk of suicide, overdose, traffic accidents and head or body injuries in younger people, according to a large new study published in The British Medical Journal.

Sales of the two main gabapentinoids, pregabalin (Lyrica) and gabapentin (Neurontin), have tripled in recent years in the United States, where they are often promoted in prescribing guidelines as safer alternatives to opioids.

A team of researchers followed nearly 192,000 people enrolled in the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register who filled prescriptions for gabapentinoids on at least two consecutive occasions from 2006 to 2013. That information was compared to data in the Swedish Patient Register, which collects information on hospital admissions and outpatient care, as well as the Swedish Cause of Death Register.

Over the study period, researchers found that patients taking gabapentinoids had higher rates of suicide or suicidal behavior (5.2%), unintentional overdose (8.9%), traffic accidents (6.3%) and head or body injuries (36.7%) than the general population.

The risks were strongest for people who were prescribed pregabalin and were most pronounced among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24.  Patients aged 55 and older taking gabapentinoids were not at greater risk.

Researchers believe the drugs may have more impact on younger people because they have faster metabolisms, which could lead to withdrawal problems that affect their impulsivity and emotions.

“Overall, gabapentinoids seem to be safe for a range of outcomes in older people. However, the increased risks found in adolescents and young adults prescribed gabapentinoids, particularly for suicidal behaviour and unintentional overdoses, warrant further research,” said lead author Seena Fazel, MD, of the University of Oxford in England.

“If our findings are triangulated with other forms of evidence, clinical guidelines may need review regarding prescriptions for young people, and those with substance use disorders. Further restrictions for off-label prescription may need consideration.”

Pregabalin is approved by the FDA to treat diabetic nerve pain, fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia caused by shingles and spinal cord injuries; while gabapentin is approved for epilepsy and post-herpetic neuralgia. Both drugs are also widely prescribed off-label to treat back pain, depression, migraine and other chronic conditions.

Gabapentinoids are increasingly being used recreationally by addicts who have found the medications enhance the effects of heroin and other opioids. The drugs were recently classified as controlled substances in the UK.

Gabapentin is not currently scheduled as a controlled substance by the DEA, while Lyrica is classified as a Schedule V controlled substance, meaning it has low potential for addiction and abuse.  

A recent clinical review found little evidence the drugs should be used off-label to treat pain and that prescribing guidelines often exaggerate their effectiveness. The CDC’s controversial opioid guideline, for example, calls gabapentin and pregabalin “first-line drugs” for neuropathic pain.

“Despite documentation that these drugs were promoted improperly for off-label treatment of pain, the recent rapid increase in prescribing of gabapentinoids suggests a persisting sense among clinicians that gabapentinoids are highly effective pain medications,” wrote Christopher Goodman, MD, and Allan Brett, MD, of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

“Guidelines and review articles have contributed to this perception by often uncritical extrapolation from FDA-approved indications to off-label use.”

Doctors Say Guidelines Exaggerate Effectiveness of Lyrica and Neurontin

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

There is little evidence that gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) should be used off-label to treat pain and prescribing guidelines often exaggerate their effectiveness, according to a new clinical review in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Gabapentin and pregabalin belong to a class of nerve medication known as gabapentinoids. The drugs were originally developed to prevent seizures, but their use has tripled over the past 15 years as more doctors prescribed them for a variety of chronic pain conditions. It is a common practice for doctors to prescribe drugs “off label” for treatments that are not FDA-approved.

“Gabapentinoids have become frequent first-line alternatives in patients with chronic pain from whom opioids are being withheld or withdrawn, as well as in patients with acute pain who traditionally received short courses of low-dose opioid,” wrote Christopher Goodman, MD, and Allan Brett, MD, of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

“The evidence to support off-label gabapentinoid use for most painful clinical conditions is limited. For some conditions, no well-performed controlled trials exist.”

Gabapentin is only approved by the FDA to treat epilepsy and neuropathic pain caused by shingles, but it is prescribed off label to treat depression, ADHD, migraine, fibromyalgia and bipolar disorder.  Pregabalin is approved by the FDA to treat diabetic nerve pain, fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia caused by shingles and spinal cord injuries, but it is also widely prescribed off-label to treat other types of pain.

The drugs are sold by Pfizer under the brand names Lyrica and Neurontin. The company has paid nearly $1 billion in fines for misleading and improper marketing of the drugs for off-label use.

“Despite documentation that these drugs were promoted improperly for off-label treatment of pain, the recent rapid increase in prescribing of gabapentinoids suggests a persisting sense among clinicians that gabapentinoids are highly effective pain medications,” the doctors wrote.

“Guidelines and review articles have contributed to this perception by often uncritical extrapolation from FDA-approved indications to off-label use.”

Goodman and Brett say the wording in many medical guidelines “reinforces an inflated view of gabapentinoid effectiveness” by falsely claiming the drugs should be used to treat all types of nerve pain.

“Another example is the 2016 guideline on opioid prescribing from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which states broadly that gabapentin and pregabalin are first-line drugs for neuropathic pain, without further detail or specification,” they wrote. “Even for treatment of diabetic neuropathy (for which pregabalin is FDA approved and gabapentin is off-label), guideline conclusions tend to exaggerate effectiveness.”

Many patients who take gabapetinoids have side-effects such as dizziness or drowsiness, and there are an increasing number of reports that the drugs are being abused and sold on the street.   

Goodman and Brett have sounded the alarm before about the drugs, warning in a 2017 commentary in the The New England Journal of Medicine that “gabapentinoids are being prescribed excessively.”

They say doctors should do a better job warning patients about the side effects of gabapentinoids and the drugs should be stopped if a patient reports little or no benefit.  They also think medical guidelines should be revised to stop the promotion of gabapentinoids for any pain labeled as neuropathic.

Lyrica Not Effective for Treating Traumatic Nerve Pain

By Pat Anson, Editor

Pregabalin is not effective in relieving chronic pain caused by traumatic nerve injury, but it may be useful as an analgesic in treating pain after surgery, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurology.

The placebo-controlled study followed 539 patients in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia for three months. About half had nerve pain after surgery, while the rest had nerve pain after an accident or trauma.

Researchers found that pregabalin was not an effective pain reliever for the patients with traumatic nerve injuries, but the drug did provide better pain relief than placebo for the surgery patients.

"While these finding show that pregabalin is not effective in controlling the long-term pain for traumatic injury, it may provide relief for patients (that) experience post-surgical pain," said lead author John Markman, MD, director of the Translational Pain Research Program in the University of Rochester Department of Neurosurgery.

"The possibility that there was pain relief for those patients who had a hernia repair, or breast surgery for cancer, or a joint replacement lays the groundwork for future studies in these post-surgical syndromes where there is so much need for non-opioid treatments."

Pregabalin, which is sold by Pfizer under the brand name Lyrica, is FDA-approved for the treatment of chronic pain associated with shingles, spinal cord injury, fibromyalgia, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

It is also commonly prescribed as an "off label" treatment for other types of chronic pain and as an alternative to opioid medication.

A major challenge for doctors is that biological changes in nerves and other tissues while healing from surgery or trauma vary from one patient to the next. There is also no diagnostic method that allows doctors to identify which patients will respond to a particular type of pain treatment.

"Given the rising rates of surgery and shrinking reliance on opioids, it is critical that we understand how to study new drugs that work differently in patients like the ones included in this study," Markman added.

While critics often say there is little or no evidence to support the long-term use of opioids, the same is true for other types of pain medication, including pregabalin. Nevertheless, in its guideline for opioids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends pregabalin and its chemical cousin gabapentin as alternatives for treating chronic pain – without even mentioning their side effects or potential for abuse.

Pregabalin and gabapentin belong to a class of nerve medication called gabapentinoids, which were originally developed to treat epilepsy, not pain. In recent, deaths involving gabapentinoids have increased in the UK, Australia and Canada, where some addicts have learned the drugs can heighten the euphoric effect of heroin and other opioids.

The use of pregabalin and gabapentin has tripled in the U.S. over the past decade, but health officials have only recently started looking into their misuse and abuse. While gabapentin has a warning label cautioning users who take the drug with opioids, there is no similar warning for pregabalin.

Studies Warn of Pregabalin Deaths

By Pat Anson, Editor

Two new studies – one in Canada and one in Australia – should give pause to patients who use opioids and pregabalin (Lyrica), an anticonvulsant medication increasingly prescribed for fibromyalgia, neuropathy and other chronic pain conditions. Both studies found a number of overdose deaths that involve – but were not necessarily caused -- by pregabalin.

The Canadian study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at over 1,400 patients in Ontario on opioid medication from 1997 to 2016 who died from opioid-related causes. Another group of over 5,000 surviving opioid patients was used as a control group.

Researchers found that patients who were co-prescribed opioids and pregabalin had a significantly higher risk of an overdose.

The risk of death was over two times higher for patients receiving opioids and a high dose of pregabalin (over 300mg) compared to those who took opioids alone.

Patients on a low or moderate dose of pregabalin also had a heightened risk, although not as large.

Researchers say pregabalin has a sedative effect and may interact with opioids in ways that increase respiratory depression. Few doctors and patients are aware of the risk, even though over half of Ontario residents who begin pregabalin therapy are also prescribed an opioid.

"There is an important drug interaction between opioids and pregabalin that can lead to increased risk of fatal overdose, particularly at high doses of pregabalin," lead author Tara Gomes, PhD, of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, told MedPage Today.

"Clinicians should consider carefully whether to prescribe opioids and pregabalin together. If they decide that both medications are clinically appropriate, they should start with low doses and monitor their patients closely."

Lyrica (pregabalin) and Neurontin (gabapentin) are both made by Pfizer and belong to a class of anticonvulsant nerve medication called gabapentinoids. Sales of gabapentinoids have tripled in recent years, in part because of CDC prescribing guidelines that recommend the drugs as alternatives to opioid medication.  

U.S. health officials have only recently started looking into the misuse and abuse of gabapentinoids, which are increasingly used by addicts to enhance the euphoric effects of heroin and other illicit opioids. While gabapentin  has a warning label cautioning users who take the drug with opioids, there is no similar warning for pregabalin.

“Although current product monographs for gabapentin contain warnings about serious adverse events when this agent is combined with opioids, those for pregabalin do not. The importance of our finding warrants a revision of the pregabalin product monographs,” wrote Gomes.

Pregabalin Abuse in Australia

Health officials in Australia are also concerned about the growing use of pregabalin.  Researchers at the NSW Poisons Information Centre say poisoning cases involving pregabalin rose from zero in 2005 to 376 cases in 2016.

“Our study shows a clear correlation between the rapid and continuous rise of pregabalin dispensing and an increase in intentional poisonings and deaths associated with pregabalin,” said lead author Dr. Rose Cairns, a specialist at the NSW Poisons Information Centre.

According to the Australian Journal of Pharmacy (AJP), there have been 88 recorded deaths associated with pregabalin in recent years. Most of the deaths involved young, unemployed males who had a history of substance abuse, particularly with opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol and illicit drugs.

“We believe that Australian doctors may not be aware of the abuse potential of pregabalin,” Cairns said. “Most patients who are prescribed this medication are in the older population but the group who are at high risk of overdosing are much younger. These people are likely to have been prescribed pregabalin despite having a history of substance abuse.”

According to researchers, up to two-thirds of people who intentionally misused pregabalin had a prior documented substance abuse history. “Prescribers need to consider this growing body of evidence that pregabalin has abuse potential before prescribing, especially to patients with substance abuse history,” said Cairns.

Pfizer did not respond to a request for comment on the Canadian and Australian studies.

Lyrica and Neurontin Ineffective for Low Back Pain

By Pat Anson, Editor

Lyrica, Neurontin and other anti-convulsant drugs are ineffective for treating low back pain and may even be harmful to patients, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Prescriptions for anti-convulsant drugs have soared in recent years, as doctors seek “safer” alternatives to opioid pain medication.  Lyrica (pregabalin) and Neurontin (gabapentin) belong to a class of anti-convulsant nerve medications known as gabapentinoids. They are primarily used for treating nerve pain and fibromyalgia, but are increasingly being prescribed off-label to treat lower back and neck pain.

Australian researchers reviewed 9 placebo-controlled randomized trials and found high quality evidence that gabapentinoids did not reduce back pain or disability and often had side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness and nausea.

“The take-home message is that anti-convulsants are not effective and can lead to adverse effects in people with low back pain and radiating leg pain (eg, sciatica), so they should not be recommended to this patient population,” lead author Oliver Enke, MD, a researcher at the University of Sydney Medical School, told Helio Family Medicine.

Low back pain is the world’s leading cause of disability. Guidelines for treating low back pain usually recommend physical therapy, exercise and non-opioid pain relievers rather than stronger analgesics such as opioids or anti-convulsants.

A 2017 study published in PLOS Medicine also warned that pregabalin and gabapentin were ineffective for low back pain and have a “significant risk of adverse effects.” 

PNN readers often complain about side effects from Lyrica and Neurontin.

“I have used both medicines and neither help with lower back pain for me,” said Sheri. “I will say the mental confusion and memory loss on Lyrica is very real, but it takes a slight edge of pain away in my body as a whole from the fibromyalgia.”

“I can vouch that Lyrica does not help with back pain,” said Debra. “It helped with the nerve pain but I thought I was literally losing my mind. I couldn't remember simple words or synonyms for words.”

“I've been taking gabapentin for almost six months; it has helped my peripheral neuropathy, but I still suffer every day from arthritis in every joint of my body, including my lower back,” another reader wrote.

Lyrica and Neurontin are both made by Pfizer and are two of the company’s top selling drugs, generating billions of dollars in sales annually. Lyrica is approved by the FDA to treat diabetic nerve pain, fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia caused by shingles, and spinal cord injuries.

Neurontin is approved by the FDA to treat epilepsy and neuropathic pain caused by shingles, but is also widely prescribed off-label to treat depression, ADHD, migraine, fibromyalgia and bipolar disorder. According to one estimate, over 90% of Neurontin sales are for off-label uses. About 68 million prescriptions were written for gabapentin in the U.S. last year, compared to 44 million in in 2013.

There have been increasing reports of gabapentinoids being abused by drug addicts, who have learned they can use the medications to heighten the high from heroin, marijuana, cocaine and other substances. Gabapentin is not currently scheduled as a controlled substance by the DEA, while pregabalin is classified as a Schedule V controlled substance, meaning it has a low potential for addiction and abuse.