Lidocaine patch 5%

Lidocaine patch 5% comprises a soft, stretchy adhesive patch (10 by 14cm) containing 5% lidocaine (700mg) for the topical treatment of pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Lidocaine provides analgesic relief by blocking neuronal sodium channels. Systemic absorption from lidocaine patch 5% is minimal in healthy subjects and patients with postherpetic neuralgia (3% of the dose is absorbed). In clinical trials (conducted over 12 hours to 24 days) involving patients with allodynia associated with PHN, treatment with lidocaine patch 5% resulted in a significant reduction in pain intensity and increased pain relief compared with vehicle patch. Lidocaine patch 5% was associated with few adverse events, the most frequent being mild skin redness or irritation at the application site which occurred with a similar incidence with lidocaine and vehicle patch.