Category: Dystonia: Clinical Trials and Therapy
Objective: To assess the long-term effects of repeated incobotulinumtoxinA (inco-A) injections on cervical dystonia (CD)-related pain in a pooled analysis of studies in adults with CD.
Background: Botulinum toxin type A is known to provide pain relief in patients with CD but the pain relief benefits of repeated treatment with inco-A need further evaluation.
Method: Pooled data from four phase 3 and 4 studies in adults with CD-related pain at baseline (N=678) were analysed over five inco-A injection cycles. Pain was assessed at each injection visit (IV) and control visit (CV) 4 weeks post-injection using the TWSTRS-pain severity subscale or a pain VAS. Both pain scales were analysed using a score range 0‒10 and pain was categorised as mild (>0‒<3.5), moderate (3.5‒<6.5) or severe (6.5‒10). Response was defined as ≥30% or ≥50% reduction in baseline pain score, reflecting at least moderate or substantial clinically important improvements, respectively. Complete pain relief (pain score=0) was evaluated at each IV and CV. Pain scores in the subgroup of patients not taking concomitant pain medication (N=379) were also examined.
Results: Baseline pain was moderate or severe for 64% of patients. Pain reduction was observed over multiple treatment cycles; response rates and % with complete pain relief tended to increase over the 5 injection cycles (Table). A cumulative effect was demonstrated in the proportion of patients whose pain had not returned to baseline levels by the next IV. Pain responses were generally slightly higher in the subgroup not taking concomitant pain medication (Table).
Conclusion: Patients with CD-related pain experienced clinically important and sustained reductions in pain during repeated inco-A injections with or without concomitant pain medication, confirming the benefits of long-term inco-A treatment.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
A. Albanese, J. Wissel, W. Jost, A. Castagna, M. Althaus, G. Comes, A. Scheschonka, M. Vacchelli, H. Jinnah. Benefit of multiple incobotulinumtoxinA injections for pain reduction in adults with cervical dystonia: an analysis of pooled data [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2023; 38 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/benefit-of-multiple-incobotulinumtoxina-injections-for-pain-reduction-in-adults-with-cervical-dystonia-an-analysis-of-pooled-data/. Accessed May 21, 2025.« Back to 2023 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/benefit-of-multiple-incobotulinumtoxina-injections-for-pain-reduction-in-adults-with-cervical-dystonia-an-analysis-of-pooled-data/