FDA Approves Qutenza

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a very painful virus that affects the nerve endings. Typically, a shingles rash will follow the pathline of a particular nerve, in areas like the waist band, face, and shoulder. Researchers estimate that every year, a half a million people in the United States develop shingles.

As if shingles isn’t bad enough, many people, particularly those over 60 years, develop a very painful condition called post herpetic neuralgia, a type of nerve pain along where the shingles occurred.

Nerve pain, neuralgia, is a very difficult pain to treat. While some people see the PHN ease off, some still have it a year later. Some medications do help some people, but not all.

Today, the FDA approved a drug called Qutenza, a high-concentration capsaicin skin patc. The medication was approved under the so-called Orphan Drug designation. This is given for products that may diagnose, prevent, and/or treat rarer illnesses, conditions, or disabilities – usually those that affect 200,000 patients or fewer.

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Image: Newscom.com