Prevention of neuropathic pain induced by surgery



13 Mars 2017

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Fields

Biology / Medical

Sectors

Health

Context

Neuropathic pain has profound negative impacts on everday life. It can occur after surgical interventions like mastectomy as both acute and chronic pain. 20-68% of patients report burning and shooting pain with numbness and pressure sensation. Treatment of neuropathic pain remains a major challenge: pharmacological treatments including antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, and topical treatments are usually not sufficient to alleviate pain entirely and represent unsatisfactory trade-offs between safety and tolerability.

Technology

Repositioning of Memantine, an antagonist of NMDA (N-Methyl-D-Aspartate) receptors usually prescribed for Alzheimer’s disease but with poor efficacy. Memantine is proposed here as a new indication to prevent neuropathic pain following surgical interventions like mastectomy. Efficiency of Memantine is validated in a randomized clinical trial on 40 women undergoing mastectomy. Compared with placebo, patients receiving Memantine showed at three months a significant reduction in post-mastectomy pain intensity, reduced use of analgesic and an improved emotional state.

Advantages / benefits

  • A new and effective treatment for unmet pain needs
  • Preventive analgesic solution validated by a preliminary clinical study
  • Repositioning attractive to speed up the process of drug development
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