Five local drugmakers have obtained approval for medicines that changed the dosing of Pfizer’s Lyrica (ingredient: pregabalin), a neuropathic pain reliever, from twice daily to once daily.

Pfizer’s neuropathic pain reliever Lyrica Cap.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Friday allowed LG Chem, Hanlim Pharmaceutical, GL PharmTech, Daewon Pharmaceutical, and Crown Pharm to sell nine sustained-release products that used pregabalin as the main ingredient.

The nine medicines changed the dosing of Pfizer’s Lyrica, which comes in three dosing – 75mg, 150mg, and 300mg. Patients take Lyrica twice a day.

However, patients can take the sustained-release drugs once daily. Physicians prescribe Lyrica as a monotherapy or as a combination therapy with treatment for diabetes or shingles.

Neuropathic pain occurs due to damage or functional abnormality of the nervous system. The pain is refractory and chronically long-lasting.

The chronic neuropathic pain lowers the quality of life of patients and causes a sleep disorder, depression, and social maladjustment.

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