PEA and Vitamin B Composition for Neuropathic Pain Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for neuropathic pain, such as those involving anti-depressants, gabapentinoids, and opioids, often result in suboptimal pain relief and are limited by significant side effects, making it difficult to achieve effective doses without adverse reactions.

Innovation Solution

A composition comprising palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and one or more vitamins of the vitamin B complex, used as the sole pharmaceutically active ingredients, which enhances analgesic efficacy while minimizing side effects and allowing for faster onset of action.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If current therapeutic compositions (anti-depressants, gabapentinoids, opioids) are used to treat neuropathic pain, then pain relief is achieved to some extent, but side effects and safety issues become significant and dose-limiting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepain relief effectivenessVSAvoidside effects
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful side effects associated with conventional neuropathic pain medications by using a completely different mechanism of action. Instead of using anti-depressants, gabapentinoids, or opioids that cause cardiac disturbances, drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, nausea, and abuse potential, the invention uses palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) combined with vitamin B complex - natural compounds that achieve pain relief without these harmful effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical and pharmacological parameters of the treatment by substituting conventional pharmaceutical compounds with a combination of PEA and vitamin B complex. This parameter change includes using compounds with different mechanisms of action (endocannabinoid system modulation and neurotrophic support) that inherently lack the dose-limiting side effects of traditional medications while maintaining analgesic efficacy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If higher doses of current pain-relieving drugs are administered to overcome partial efficacy, then pain reduction may improve, but side effects become more severe and treatment becomes intolerable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepain reduction efficacyVSAvoidtreatment tolerability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the previously harmful approach of increasing doses to overcome partial efficacy into a beneficial approach by using a different compound combination that achieves effective pain relief at tolerable doses. The PEA-vitamin B complex combination provides sufficient analgesic effect without requiring dose escalation, thereby eliminating the trade-off between efficacy and tolerability that plagues conventional treatments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If combinations of multiple analgesic compounds are prescribed to improve efficacy, then pain relief may be enhanced, but the number of side effects and safety concerns increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanalgesic efficacyVSAvoidtreatment regimen complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges two beneficial compounds - palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and vitamin B complex - into a single therapeutic regimen that works synergistically to relieve neuropathic pain. This combination approach achieves enhanced efficacy through complementary mechanisms of action (PEA modulating the endocannabinoid system and vitamin B providing neurotrophic support) while avoiding the complexity and cumulative side effects of combining multiple conventional analgesics from different classes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3270906B1Composition for use in the treatment of neuropathic pain
Publication Date: 2019.06.05 VANDERBILT SCI HLDG LTD
  • EP3270906B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The present invention relates to a composition comprising palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and a vitamin B. The present invention also relates to such a composition for use as a nutraceutical or as a medicament, for use as an analgesic pharmaceutical, and more specifically for use as an analgesic pharmaceutical in the alleviation of neuropathic pain, and to a method for preparing such a composition.