Our Products                                                    Neurontin | Lyrica

At Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (PAPPL), we manufacture two intermediate Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), namely, Gabapentin and Pregabalin.

Gabapentin is an active ingredient manufactured in PAPPL plant before it is being delivered to other Pfizer sites to be reprocessed into the final product called Neurontin. Neurontin is developed for the treatment of some types of seizures in patients who have epilepsy. It is also used in the treatment of patients suffering from post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN).

PHN is a chronic and severe neuropathic complication resulting from herpes zoster (better known as shingles). It is defined as any pain lasting longer than one month after the herpes zoster has healed. PHN seems to strike especially hard among the elderly, with half of all herpes zoster patients aged 60 and over experiencing the condition. The pain of PHN has been described as similar to a series of electric shocks on the skin, or to a burning sensation. Some patients even describe the pain as "Like you've been scalded with a hot iron".

Neurontin represents a new era in the symptomatic treatment of PHN. Its effectiveness and safety profile was demonstrated in two controlled clinical trials. Neurontin is now the only FDA (Food and Drug Administration)-approved oral medicine for the treatment of PHN in adults.

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Lyrica is the brand name for Pregabalin. It is an oral medication used for pain management associated with Diabetic peripheral neuropathy and other neuropathic pain conditions. It is also used for treating Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is usually accompanied by poor sleep, stiffness and fatigue; sufferers also report experiencing deep tenderness, soreness and flu-like aching. The pain of Fibromyalgia can hamper a patient's ability to work and often results in increased medical costs and disability. Lyrica binds to a specific protein within overexcited nerve cells and works to calm damaged nerves. This is thought to reduce the level of pain in patients suffering from Fibromyalgia.

In June 2007, it becomes the first medication approved under an expedited review by the FDA for management of Fibromyalgia. It is a breakthrough for millions of patients who previously had no FDA approved treatment options for this condition.

Click on the hyperlink to read a story published by the FDA about Fibromyalgia and Lyrica.

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