PARIS, August 27 (APM) - Pfizer's anti-epileptic drug Lyrica (pregabalin) could improve chronic tinnitus, according to a small Spanish study presented at the meeting of the European Federation of Neurological Societies in Madrid.

Chronic tinnitus - a ringing or noise in the ears - can be disabling, according to the study researchers Ana Piera Balbastre of the Hospital Clinico Universitario in Valencia and colleagues in their poster abstract.

Although there is currently no treatment that effectively cures tinnitus, various methods are used to help patients with this disorder.

Balbastre's team tested Lyrica based on the hypothesis that the failure of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter to inhibit hearing-related electrical activity contributes to tinnitus. Lyrica is a GABA analogue currently indicated for epilepsy and neuropathic pain.

They enrolled 58 adult patients with chronic tinnitus, 30% of whom were deemed to have a "considerable handicap", with the remainder having mild-to-moderate tinnitus. All the patients received Lyrica at doses of up to 300 mg/day.

After four months' treatment, patients with severe tinnitus had a significant reduction of 60% in the severity of tinnitus. Separate results for patients with mild-to-moderate tinnitus were not presented.

Overall, a significant reduction in tinnitus intensity was recorded in 60% of the cohort.

The researchers said their trial suggests pregabalin can be useful in treating chronic tinnitus and call for further trials to confirm these "promising initial results".

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[12493] 27/08/2008 09:12 GMT - NEURO