Tramadol May Have Slight Effect on Reducing Chronic Pain

In continuation of my update on Tramadol..

Tramadol may slightly reduce chronic pain but seems to increase the risk for serious and nonserious adverse events, according to a review published online Oct. 7 in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

Jehad Ahmad Barakji, M.D., from the Centre for Clinical Intervention Research in Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine the benefits and harms of tramadol versus placebo in chronic pain. Data were included from 19 randomized placebo-controlled trials, with 6,506 participants.

The researchers observed evidence of a beneficial effect of tramadol on chronic pain (mean difference numerical rating scale [NRS], −0.93 points) in a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis, with the effect size below the predefined minimal important difference of 1.0 point on the NRS. There was evidence of a harmful effect of tramadol on serious adverse events (odds ratio, 2.13), which was mainly due to a higher proportion of cardiac events and neoplasms. Due to a lack of data, it was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis on quality of life. The risk for several nonserious adverse events, including nausea, dizziness, constipation, and somnolence, was increased with tramadol (number needed to harm: seven, eight, nine, and 13, respectively).

"In the United States, the number of opioid-related overdose deaths increased from 49,860 in 2019 to 81,806 in 2022," the authors write. "Given these trends and the present findings, the use of tramadol and other opioids should be minimized to the greatest extent possible."

Abstract/Full Text

Tramadol May Have Slight Effect on Reducing Chronic Pain - Drugs.com MedNews

FDA Approves Seglentis (celecoxib and tramadol hydrochloride) for the Management of Acute Pain

In continuation of my update on celecoxib and tramadol

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Seglentis (celecoxib and tramadol hydrochloride), a proprietary product developed by Esteve Pharmaceuticals' R&D team. It is an innovative first-in-class product comprised of a co-crystal form of celecoxib (an anti-inflammatory) and tramadol (an analgesic) for the treatment of acute pain in adults. This is Esteve's first proprietary research product to enter the United States market.

In words of Dr. Carlos Plata-Salamán, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Medical Officer of Esteve "This innovation is the result of applying a crystallization technology to improve the physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetic characteristics of its active pharmaceutical ingredients.1,2,4,7,9 The FDA approval means that clinicians and adult patients in the U.S. now have a new treatment option for acute pain management."

Seglentis is the trade name for tablets that contain a co-crystal7 composed of celecoxib and tramadol hydrochloride. It is a new analgesic designed for acute pain management in a multimodal treatment approach3,5,6 targeting four complementary pain relief mechanisms.5,6 It offers a new treatment option for acute pain management aligned with the multimodal analgesia now considered standard of care. 

The novel co-crystal structure produces a unique pharmacokinetic profile of its active pharmaceutical ingredients compared to their individual or combined administration.1,2,4,9 The New Drug Application (NDA) was approved by the U.S. FDA on October 15, 2021.

Staffan Schüberg, Chief Executive Officer of Esteve, said: "We are proud of this milestone as we understand it as a recognition of our daily efforts to meet patient’s needs and to address the challenges the pain community is facing nowadays".

FDA Approves Zimhi (naloxone hydrochloride) Injection for the Treatment of Opioid Overdose

In continuation of my update on naloxone hydrochloride, Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Nasdaq: ADMP) announced   the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)   approval of  Adamis’ Zimhi™ (naloxone HCL Injection, USP) 5 mg/0.5 mL product. Zimhi is a high-dose naloxone injection product FDA-approved for use in the treatment of opioid overdose.

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist and is generally considered the drug of choice for immediate administration for opioid overdose. It works by blocking or reversing the effects of the opioid, including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness. Common opioids include morphine, heroin, tramadol, oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl.

According to statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdoses resulted in approximately 96,779 deaths in the United States during the 12-month period ending March 2021, which was a 29% increase over the prior 12-month period. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50, with more powerful synthetic opioids, like fentanyl and its analogues, responsible for the largest number of those deaths.

Dr. Jeffrey Galinkin, an anesthesiologist, and former member of the FDA Advisory Committee for Anesthetics, Analgesics and Addiction Products, commented, “I am pleased to see this much needed high dose naloxone product will become part of the treatment tool kit as a countermeasure to the continued surge in fentanyl related deaths. The higher intramuscular doses of naloxone in Zimhi should result in more rapid and higher levels of naloxone in the systemic circulation, which in turn, should result in more successful resuscitations.”

Dr. Dennis J. Carlo, President and CEO of Adamis, stated, “We are very excited by this approval and are working with our commercial partner, US WorldMeds, to make this much-needed, lifesaving product readily available to the market. Zimhi provides the highest systemic levels of naloxone compared to any of the nasal or intramuscular products currently available.”

P. Breckinridge Jones, Sr., CEO of US WorldMeds, added, “We are pleased with the approval and now look forward to commercially marketing Zimhi in the United States. US WorldMeds has a proven track-record of successfully commercializing pharmaceutical products and have a First-in-Class and only FDA-approved product, LUCEMYRA® (lofexidine), for the treatment of withdrawal symptoms associated with abrupt opioid discontinuation. We are confident we can leverage our existing commercial infrastructure and presence in the opioid dependence market to speed the uptake of Zimhi and combat the growing opioid crisis. We are preparing for the full commercial launch of ZIMHI which is planned for the first quarter of 2022.”\

FDA Approves Qdolo (tramadol hydrochloride) Oral Solution for the Management of Severe Pain

In continuation of my update on tramadol 

Bioscience, LLC, a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qdolo™ (tramadol hydrochloride) Oral Solution 5mg/1mL C-IV, an opioid agonist indicated in adults for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 million adults in the United States have chronic daily pain, with 19.6 million adults experiencing high-impact chronic pain that interferes with daily life or work activities. A May, 2019 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report on pain management best practices emphasized the need for an "individualized, patient-centered" approach for the treatment of pain.1

"As an oral liquid, Qdolo gives physicians flexibility to titrate dosing precisely according to individual patients' needs," said Jeff Bryant, President and CEO of Athena Bioscience. "In addition, for patients with swallowing disfunction (dysphagia) or who simply have trouble swallowing pills, Qdolo provides an essential alternative to other forms of tramadol." Qdolo has a patent pending.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

FDA Approves Qdolo (tramadol hydrochloride) Oral Solution for the Management of Severe Pain

Tramadol Linked to Increased Hip Fracture Risk in Adults Aged ≥50

In continuation of my update on Tramadol

For older adults, initiation of tramadol is associated with an increased risk for hip fracture compared with initiation of codeine, ibuprofen, and other commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Jie Wei, Ph.D., from Central South University in Changsha, China, and colleagues examined the association between tramadol and the risk for hip fracture among individuals aged 50 years or older without a history of hip fracture, cancer, or opioid use disorder. Five sequential propensity score-matched cohort studies were assembled, including participants initiating tramadol (146,956 participants) or one of the following: codeine (146,956 participants), naproxen (115,109 participants), ibuprofen (107,438 participants), celecoxib (43,130 participants), or etoricoxib (27,689 participants).

The researchers identified 518 hip fractures in the tramadol cohort and 401 in the codeine cohort (3.7 versus 2.9/1,000 person-years) during one-year follow-up (hazard ratio, 1.28 for tramadol versus codeine). Hip fracture risk was higher in the tramadol cohort compared with the naproxen (2.9 versus 1.7/1,000 person-years; hazard ratio, 1.69), ibuprofen (3.4 versus 2.0/1,000 person-years; hazard ratio, 1.65), celecoxib (3.4 versus 1.8/1,000 person-years; hazard ratio, 1.85), and etoricoxib (2.9 versus 1.5/1,000 person-years; hazard ratio, 1.96) cohorts.

"Considering the significant impact of hip fracture on morbidity, mortality, and health care cost, our results point to the need to consider tramadol's associated risk of fracture in clinical practice and treatment guidelines," the authors write.

https://asbmr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbmr.3933

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol












Tramadol Linked to Increased Hip Fracture Risk in Adults Aged ≥50 

Etoricoxib better than tramadol for postoperative pain.....

In continuation of my update on Etoricoxib...

Researchers lead by Dr. Metha Brattwall of University Hospital Möndal in Gothenburg, Sweden, have come up with an  interesting finding, i.e., for patients with moderate pain after foot surgery, the cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor drug etoricoxib provides better pain relief with fewer side effects than the opioid drug tramadol. The study also helps to alleviate concerns that COX-2 inhibitors and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may interfere with bone healing after surgery.  The researchers compared two different pain-relieving drugs in 100 women undergoing surgery for bunions (hallux valgus). One group received the COX-2 inhibitor etoricoxib, while the other group received tramadol, an opioid (narcotic-like) drug similar to codeine.

Although both drugs were effective in controlling pain in the week after surgery, pain scores were significantly lower in the etoricoxib group. Women assigned to etoricoxib had an average pain score of 12.5 (on a 100-point scale), compared to 17 in those receiving tramadol.  As per the claim by  the researchers, patients in the etoricoxib group had lower maximum pain scores throughout the week after surgery. They also had better pain relief on the second and third days after surgery, when pain scores were highest.

"Etoricoxib was also associated with fewer side effects and thus overall patient satisfaction with pain medication," the researchers write...

Interesting results from this study are that, no evidence of impaired healing in patients taking NSAIDs, at least after a relatively minor operation like bunion surgery. Etoricoxib is not currently approved for use in the United States, but is available in other countries. NSAIDs are generally considered much safer than opioid drugs.And this research further substantiate this.

"The results suggest that NSAIDs can provide superior analgesia for patients with moderate pain after bone surgery, with reduced risk," Dr. Shafer adds...

Ref : Metha Brattwall,  Ibrahim Turan, and Jan Jakobsson, Anesthesia & Analgesia

Phase 3 study: Tapentadol ER lowers incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events..

Tapentadol (see structure) is a new molecular entity that is structurally similar to tramadol (Ultram). It is a centrally-acting analgesic with a dual mode of action as an agonist at the μ-opioid receptor and as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. While its action reflects aspects of tramadol and morphine its ability to kill pain is more on the order of hydrocodone and oxycodone. Interestingly it  has opioid and nonopioid acitivity in a single compound.  Tapentadol is FDA approved for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. Due to the dual mechanism of action as an opioid agonist and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor is potential for off use in chronic pain.

Tapentadol was developed by Grünenthal in conjunction with Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development. It is being marketed as immediate release oral tablets of 50 mg, 75 mg, and 100 mg under the brabd name Nucynta.

A Phase 3 open-label study (by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C), recently published online by Pain Practice, has compared tapentadol extended release (ER) tablets, an investigational pain medication, to an existing prescription pain medication, oxycodone controlled release (CR) tablets.

The study found tapentadol ER was associated with a lower overall incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events than oxycodone CR (tapentadol ER, 52.0 percent; oxycodone CR, 64.1 percent) in patients with chronic knee or hip osteoarthritis pain or chronic low back pain, including: Constipation (tapentadol ER, 22.6 percent; oxycodone CR, 38.6 percent); Nausea (tapentadol ER, 18.1 percent; oxycodone CR, 33.2 percent); and Vomiting (tapentadol ER, 7.0 percent; oxycodone CR, 13.5 percent).

The median duration of treatment was substantially longer with tapentadol ER (268 days) than with oxycodone CR (59 days), and the incidence of overall gastrointestinal treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) leading to study discontinuation was approximately 2.5 times greater in the oxycodone CR group than in the tapentadol ER group (oxycodone CR, 21.5 percent; tapentadol ER, 8.6 percent). In addition, the incidence of constipation leading to study discontinuation was 4.5 times greater in the oxycodone CR group than in the tapentadol ER group (oxycodone CR, 7.2 percent; tapentadol ER, 1.6 percent).

The study also found tapentadol ER provided sustainable relief of moderate to severe chronic knee or hip osteoarthritis pain or chronic low back pain for up to one year. At baseline, mean pain intensity scores in the tapentadol ER and oxycodone CR groups, respectively, were 7.6 and 7.6; at endpoint, they had decreased to 4.4 and 4.

"We are encouraged by these study results as they illustrate the tolerability of tapentadol ER compared with oxycodone CR, a standard chronic pain treatment," said Dr. Bruce Moskovitz, Therapeutic Area Leader for Pain, Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC. "We are pleased about the possibility of bringing this important investigational compound forward to patients in the future."

This study of tapentadol ER examined its long-term safety and tolerability compared to oxycodone CR and the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of twice-daily doses of tapentadol ER (100 to 250 mg) over one year. Patients were randomized in a 4:1 ratio to receive controlled, adjustable, oral, twice-daily doses of tapentadol ER (100-250 mg) or oxycodone HCl CR (20-50 mg) in open-label treatment for up to one year. There were 1,117 patients in the study that received at least one dose of study medication (tapentadol).

Ref : http://www.jnjpharmarnd.com/jnjpharmarnd/news_release_02042010.html

New Drug Application for Tramadol....

About Tramadol :

Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic, used for treating moderate to severe pain. Tramadol was developed by the German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH in the late 1970.

Tramadol possesses agonist actions at the μ-opioid receptor and affects reuptake at the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. Tramadol is a compound with mild and delayed μ-agonist activity.

Tramadol is a synthetic stripped-down analog of Codeine and, as such, is an opioid. The opioid agonistic effect of tramadol and its major metabolite(s) almost exclusively effects the μ-opioid receptor. This characteristic is notable, because even morphine is not exclusive to the μ-receptor, although it manifests the preponderance of its opioid agonistic effects here. Tramadol is used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain and most types of neuralgia, including trigeminal neuralgia.

Recently, Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc received FDA approval for the abbreviated New Drug Application for the 100mg and 200mg strengths of tramadol ER.....

Source : http://www.parpharm.com/media/NR_20091116.jsp