Qutenza®: a capsaicin 8% patch for the management of postherpetic neuralgia

Despite currently available treatments, postherpetic neuralgia continues to be a challenging pain condition to treat. Many patients remain in pain or suffer side effects from the (combination) therapies. A patch containing 8% capsaicin (research code NGX-4010 and marketed under the trade name Qutenza(®)), approved both in the EU and USA, provides a localized therapy with effects lasting up to 12 weeks after a single 60-min application. This review will summarize clinical trial evidence on the safety, efficacy and unique attributes of this capsaicin 8% patch in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia. The action of capsaicin on the transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 receptors will be discussed.