To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Higher Dose Of Duraclon (Clonidine) Now Available For Severe Neuropathic Pain URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/189E6A.htm Doctor's Guide March 2, 2000
COLUMBUS, OH -- March 2, 2000 -- Roxane Laboratories, Inc. announces the availability of Duraclon(TM)(clonidine HCl injection) 500 microgram/mL for the epidural treatment of severe pain in cancer patients that is not adequately relieved by opioid analgesics alone. This higher Duraclon concentration provides increased flexibility and convenience in treating cancer patients with severe neuropathic pain. "While analgesia can be effectively managed with opioids in most cancer patients, those suffering from severe neuropathic pain often require more relief than opioids alone can provide," says Stuart DuPen, MD, Associate Director for Pain Research Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA and Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology & Pain Management, University of Washington. "For these patients, Duraclon therapy offers an alternative to the invasive surgical procedures conventionally used to relieve hard to reach neuropathic pain." Duraclon is thought to produce analgesia by binding with and blocking receptors in the spinal cord that contain nerve connections vital to the perception of pain, thereby inhibiting the transmission of pain signals to the brain. The mechanism of action of Duraclon is independent from opioid analgesics. Due to this independent mechanism of action, Duraclon can be administered concomitantly with opioid analgesics, e.g., morphine, for enhanced pain relief. Duraclon, when used in combination with epidural opioids, can enhance cancer pain management by effectively relieving difficult to treat, severe neuropathic pain. In a clinical trial in cancer patients, Duraclon with epidural morphine provided significantly better analgesia than morphine alone (45 percent vs. 21 percent, respectively, p=0.016). Duraclon with epidural morphine also provided relief to 56 percent of patients with neuropathic pain vs 5 percent of those receiving morphine, p=0.003. The new 500 microgram/mL concentration of Duraclon provides increased flexibility and convenience in treating severe neuropathic pain in cancer patients. The 500 microgram/mL strength product should be diluted prior to use in an appropriate solution. Duraclon is not recommended for obstetrical, post-partum or perioperative pain management (see boxed warning). The most frequent adverse events may include hypotension, postural hypotension, dizziness, anxiety, and dry mouth. Roxane Laboratories, Inc. (Columbus, OH) is a leading manufacturer of ethical human pharmaceutical products with a strong commitment to palliative care and HIV treatment. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, located in Ridgefield, CT, and part of the Boehringer Ingelheim worldwide group of companies. The Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies, with headquarters in Ingelheim (Germany) is one of the 20 leading pharmaceutical corporations in the world. It reported revenues exceeding U.S. $1.4 billion in 1998. The corporation has more than 140 affiliated companies and it conducts business on every continent. Its product range is focused on human pharmaceuticals -- hospital, prescription and self-medication -- as well as animal health. The company has substantial research and development, production, and distribution facilities around the globe. In 1998 Boehringer Ingelheim spent U.S. $902 million on R&D, equivalent to 18 percent of total sales. Related Links: Roxane Laboratories, Inc. and Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.