Less pain and severe spasticity. Fewer side effects.
Millions of Americans are affected by pain and have been prescribed systemic opioids, typically oral, as part of their treatment plan by healthcare providers.1 A common medication for spasticity is a muscle relaxer called baclofen. The implanted pump stores and dispenses medication inside the body, reducing the opportunity for diversion of the drug, for misuse by individuals who are not prescribed the opioids or baclofen. Additionally, the physician programs the pump to deliver a certain amount of medication, allowing more physician control compared to systemic opioid therapy, reducing the opportunity for misuse of prescribed opioids.
Improved quality of life
87%
of pain patients who rated their quality of life as fair to excellent2
Benefits of targeted drug delivery
Benefits of treating chronic intractable pain with targeted drug delivery include:
Effective pain relief3,4
Reduced or eliminated use of oral pain medicines4,13
Improved ability to function and participate in day-to-day activities5
The SynchroMed™ III implantable infusion system delivers baclofen directly into the intrathecal space, thereby bypassing the blood-brain barrier. As a result, only a fraction of the oral dose is needed to produce efficacy while minimizing systemic side effects.12
Institute of Medicine. Relieving pain in America: a blueprint for transforming prevention, care, education, and research. Washington DC, United States: National Academies Press; 2011.
Gilmartin R, Bruce D, Storrs BB, et al. Intrathecal baclofen for management of spastic cerebral palsy: Multicenter trial. J Child Neurol. 2000;15(2):71–77.
Hamza M, Doleys D, Wells M, et al. Prospective study of 3-year follow-up of low-dose intrathecal opioids in the management of chronic nonmalignant pain. Pain Med. 2012;13(10): 1304-1313.
Deer T, Chapple I, Classen A, et al. Intrathecal drug delivery for treatment of chronic low back pain: report from the National Outcomes Registry for Low Back Pain. Pain Med. 2004;5:6–13.
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Smith TJ, Staats PS, Deer T, et al. Randomized clinical trial of an implantable drug delivery system compared with comprehensive medical management for refractory cancer pain: impact on pain, drug-related toxicity, and survival. J Clin Oncol. 2002;20:4040–4049.
Ilias W, le Polain B, Buchser E, Demartini L for the oPTiMa study group. Patient controlled analgesia in chronic pain patients: experience with a new device designed to be used with implanted programmable pumps. Pain Pract. 2008;8(3):164–170.
Guillemette S, Witzke S, Leier J, Hinnenthal J, Prager JP. Medical cost impact of intrathecal drug delivery for noncancer pain. Pain Med. 2013;14:504–515.
Stearns LJ., Narang S., Albright Jr., RE, et al. Assessment of Health Care Utilization and Cost of Targeted Drug Delivery and Conventional Medical Management vs Conventional Medical Management Alone for Patients With Cancer-Related Pain JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(4):e191549.doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.1549.
Penn RD, Intrathecal baclofen for spasticity of spinal origin: seven years of experience. Neurosurg. 1992;77(2):236–240.
Sindt, J, Odell, D, Dalley, A & Brogan, S. Initiation of Intrathecal Drug Delivery Dramatically Reduces Systemic Opioid Use in Patients With Advanced Cancer. Neuromodulation: Journal of the International Neuromodulation Society. 23, 978–983 (2020).
Penn RD, Savoy SM, Corcos D, et al. Intrathecal baclofen for severe spinal spasticity. N Engl J Med. 1989; 320: 1517–1521.
Hatheway JA, Bansal M, Nichols-Ricker CI. Systemic Opioid Reduction and Discontinuation Following Implantation of Intrathecal Drug-Delivery Systems for Chronic Pain: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis. Neuromodulation. 2020 Oct;23(7):961-969.
