Published in:
01-02-2000 | Adis New Drug Profile
Lidocaine Patch 5%
A Viewpoint by Bradley S. Galer
Published in: Drugs | Issue 2/2000
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Lidocaine patch 5% is truly a revolutionary therapy for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Many neuropathic pain specialists are currently using the topical lidocaine patch as first line treatment for PHN. Why?
1.
Lidocaine patch 5% has proven efficacy in PHN and is the only drug that has received a US FDA approval for this indication.
2.
Being a topical drug, lidocaine patch 5% results in no clinically meaningful systemic activity, and thus no systemic adverse effects or drug-drug interactions.
3.
Lidocaine patch 5% is well tolerated with no serious adverse reactions.
4.
Lidocaine patch 5% is simple to use; no dose titration is needed. An adequate drug trial is 2 weeks in duration and the drug is applied only once per day.