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Medical equipment industry

FDA Approves New Pain Relief Drug Prialt Derived from Snail Venom

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug called Prialt, a man-made version of snail venom, for patients who have exhausted all other options to combat chronic pain. Developed by scientists at Elan Corp., Prialt will be administered through implantable drug-delivery pumps made by Medtronic Inc. and will be available to U.S. doctors and patients this month. Prialt is a non-opioid treatment option for patients suffering from severe, chronic pain, who have tried traditional therapies, narcotics, and other medications without relief.

Key Takeaways:

  • Prialt is a synthetic version of a peptide found in the Conus magus snail, which targets and blocks calcium channels on nerves that transmit pain signals.
  • The drug is administered directly to the fluid around the spinal cord through an implantable pump, making its delivery highly efficient and reducing side effects.
  • Prialt was tested in three independent clinical trials involving about 1,200 patients before receiving FDA approval, showing promising results for patients suffering from pain associated with cancer, AIDS, and other conditions.
  • The market for treatment with Prialt is estimated to be around 120,000 patients with severe, chronic pain, and Medtronic is working with the FDA to update the labeling on its SynchroMed pumps to include the use of Prialt.
  • Prialt has side effects, including dizziness, unsteady walking, confusion, and an abnormal gait, but has shown promising results in clinical trials, with one patient able to lead a relatively normal life after treatment.

Statistics:

  • 120,000: Estimated number of patients with severe, chronic pain who may benefit from treatment with Prialt.
  • 1,200: Number of patients involved in the three independent clinical trials of Prialt before receiving FDA approval.
  • 1998-2000: Time period during which Dr. Leong was treating his patient with no relief after trying all sorts of things.

Sources:

  • "FDA approves Prialt, a new pain relief drug developed by Elan Corp." - unattributed
  • By Janet Moore, Staff Writer, Star Tribune
  • Medtronic Inc.
  • Elan Corp.
  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Stanford University Medical Center
  • Rachael Scherer, Medtronic Vice President of Investor Relations, Reuters

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