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Extended-release gabapentin next to pregabelin

Extended-release formulations serve to extend the life time of a drug for the company and provide easy of administration and sometimes less side efefcts for the patients. Gabapentin has a short half lige time, and needs to be administered thrice daily. Now new extended release formulations are under development, which might become a thread to the twice a day pregabelin. What the extended release offers for the patient compared to rpegabelin remains to be seen.

XenoPort/GlaxoSmithKline's Solzira (Depomed/Abbott DM-1796

There are two extended-release gabapentin reformulations under development:

XenoPort/GlaxoSmithKline's are developing Solzira (gabapentin enacarbil) and

Depomed/Solvay's are developing DM-1796 (gabapentin ER)

Both formulations are are expected to be launched for the treatment of neuropathic pain in 2011.

Datamonitor forecasts the more competitive product of the real biggie Glaxo of Solzira to achieve peak sales of almost $400m by 2018, and that will be double the sales for the Solvay drug. (Which since february 2010 has been taken over by Abbott...)

From the centre for the study and treatment of neuropathic pain and neuropathy in Soest, the Nertherlands

This site helps patients and treating physicians, neurologists, anesthesiologists and other pain specialists to find the best and most up to date research findings related to neuropathy and neuropathic pain and the treatment thereof.

In our centre we are specialised in treating patients suffering from neuropathic pain and neuropathy following an Integrated Medicine concept. Part of our activities are within the field of consultation. We assist pharmaceutical companies in R&D strategies related to finding new drugs to treat neuropathic pain and neuropathy.

February 2010, Jan M. Keppel Hesselink, MD, PhD.