Cymbalta(R) Significantly Reduced Diabetic Neuropathic Pain in Second Placebo-controlled Study SAN FRANCISCO, April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The investigational drug Cymbalta(R) (duloxetine hydrochloride), a selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, significantly reduced pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, with improvement seen as early as one week, according to a new study presented today at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting. Because serotonin and norepinephrine are involved in mood regulation as well as pain modulation, studies in painful diabetic neuropathy, in which patients with depression or other mood disorders were excluded, were conducted to test the hypothesis that Cymbalta may demonstrate an independent analgesic effect. The data presented today confirms a previous study in which Cymbalta, at doses of 60 mg once a day or 120 mg (60 mg twice daily) significantly reduced diabetic neuropathic pain versus placebo. In previous depression-focused studies, patients treated with Cymbalta experienced significant improvement on both the emotional and painful physical symptoms of depression, compared with patients who received sugar pills. "More than 18 million Americans have diabetes, which puts them at increased risk for diabetic neuropathy, an often painful condition for which there is no approved treatment," said J. F. Wernicke, Ph.D., M.D., Medical Advisor, Lilly Research Laboratories. "In this study, Cymbalta provided relief quickly for many patients living with painful symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Having multiple studies demonstrating clinically significant response in a pure pain population further highlights the positive impact of Cymbalta on these important symptoms." Serotonin and norepinephrine are believed to mediate pain perception in spinal cord pathways. These neurotransmitters also are believed to mediate symptoms of depression and stress urinary incontinence, two other conditions for which Cymbalta is being studied. Study highlights include: * Cymbalta patients reported significant reductions in pain, compared with those taking placebo, after one week of active therapy (p