Kadian for Chronic Pain

WILMINGTON, Del--Zeneca Inc. has received FDA clearance to marketKadian (morphine sulfate sustained release) capsules, a new singledaily dose sustained-release (SR) morphine formulation, for themanagement of moderate to severe chronic pain when treatment withan opioid analgesic is indicated for more than a few days.

Kadian is the first oral SR morphine in the US that offers theoption of 24-hour pain control with a single dose, the companysaid.

The largest controlled clinical study of Kadian was conductedin cancer patients with moderate to severe chronic pain at 28US centers.

After stabilization with an immediate-release morphine solution,152 patients were randomized to receive one of three treatments:Kadian once every 24 hours, Kadian every 12 hours, or MS Contin(morphine sulfate controlled-release) every 12 hours.

Kadian once every 24 hours was shown to be as effective as theother two regimens, and there were no significant differencesin side effects.