Abstral^®

The high majority of patients rated Abstral^® better than the medication they were previously taking in terms of speed, strength, duration of action, tolerability and ease of handling.² (Figure 1)

84% of patients chose to stay on Abstral^® at the end of the study.²

Abstral^® significantly improved quality of life (QoL) scores for depression, anxiety and physical functioning from enrolment to end-of-study.² (Figure 2)

Abstral^® was shown to have the potential to markedly improve QoL during the first 4 weeks of BTcP treatment.²

Abstral^® compared to oral morphine⁴ (Figure 3)

Abstral^® has been compared in a prospective double-blind controlled study in which opioid-tolerant patients (n=40) received either Abstral^® or oral morphine to treat episodes of BTcP. Patients kept a pain diary and were assessed at clinic visits on days 3, 7, 15 and 30 by physicians unaware of what treatment had been allocated.

Primary outcomes assessed were pain intensity reduction, frequency of BTcP episodes and onset of relief.

The mean pain intensity level was consistently better for patients treated with Abstral^® than for those treated with oral morphine at all recorded time points (p = 0.001 at day 3 and <0.001 at all other points).⁴ (Figure 3)

The onset of pain relief experienced was significantly faster for patients treated with Abstral^® than for those treated with oral morphine (p<0.001).⁴

*Abstral^® should only be administered to patients who are considered tolerant to their opioid therapy for persistent cancer pain. Patients can be considered opioid tolerant if they take at least 60 mg of oral morphine daily, at least 25 micrograms of transdermal fentanyl per hour, at least 30 mg of oxycodone daily, at least 8 mg of oral hydromorphone daily or an equianalgesic dose of another opioid for a week or longer.¹