Biotech, Fibromyalgia, Milnacipran

Cypress Bioscience Drug Succeeds in Fibromyalgia Study

Luke Timmerman 12/8/08

San Diego-based Cypress Bioscience and its partner, New York-based Forest Laboratories, said today they got positive results from a final-stage study of 1,025 patients with fibromyalgia. The patients took either milnacipran or a placebo, and a greater proportion of patients on the drug experienced at least a 30 percent reduction in pain from when they entered the study and rated themselves “very much improved” or much improved. The companies have applied for FDA clearance to market this drug based on two previous Phase III trials that reached their goals, but the application has been delayed.

Luke Timmerman is the National Biotechnology Editor for Xconomy. You can e-mail him at ltimmerman@xconomy.com, call 206-624-2374, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ldtimmerman.