Pfizer and Eli Lilly’s chronic low back pain (CLBP) treatment meets primary endpoint in Phase 3 trial
pharmafile | February 20, 2019 | News story | Research and Development |
US firms Pfizer and Eli Lilly have said that NGF inhibitor tanezumab met its primary endpoint in a phase 3 trial of patients with moderate to severe chronic low back pain (CLBP).
Treatment with 10mg of tanezumab significantly improved pain at 16 weeks when compared to placebo.
An estimated 33 million Americans suffer from CLBP, eight million of whom suffer from a moderate-to-severe form of the condition. CLBP is currently the leading form of disability. Meanwhile current treatments do not meet many patients’ needs.
“This study demonstrates the potential of tanezumab to treat individuals suffering from moderate-to-severe chronic low back pain who have been unable to achieve relief with currently available medicines,” said Ken Verburg, tanezumab development team leader, Pfizer Global Product Development.
“This is one of the longest studies conducted to date in chronic low back pain. We look forward to further analyzing these results, and believe the data from this study will support our planned future global regulatory submissions in chronic low back pain.”
Tanezumab is an investigational monoclonal antibody that works by selectively targeting, binding to and inhibiting NGF. NGF levels increase in the body as a result of injury, inflammation or chronic pain states. By inhibiting NGF tanexumab may prevent pain signals from reaching the spinal cord and brain. The drug was well tolerated during the 56 week treatment period
“Many patients living with chronic low back pain suffer from constant pain, which significantly impacts their ability to perform everyday tasks,” said Christi Shaw, president, Lilly Bio-Medicines.
“Lilly and Pfizer recognize the unmet needs for those living with this life-altering and debilitating condition, and continue to advance tanezumab as an innovative non-opioid treatment for these patients.”
Louis Goss
