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To confirm the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of NGX-4010, an 8% capsaicin dermal patch (capsaicin 640 µg/cm), in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN is a chronic pain disorder that can be difficult to treat and for which current treatment options are often limited by poor tolerability. A total of 418 patients were randomized to receive a single 60-minute application of NGX-4010 or a 0.04% capsaicin control patch (3.2 µg/cm) in a multicenter, double-blind, confirmatory, phase 3 study. Patients were 18-90 years old with a diagnosis of PHN, pain for at least 6 months, and an average baseline Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score of 3-9. The primary efficacy end point was the percentage change in NPRS score from baseline to weeks 2-8. NGX-4010 recipients had a significantly greater mean reduction from baseline in pain during weeks 2-8 compared with the control group (32.0% vs 24.4%; P = 0.011). A ≥30% reduction in mean NPRS scores was achieved in 46% of NGX-4010 recipients compared with 34% of controls ( P = 0.02). Pain was significantly lower in NGX-4010 recipients than controls by week 2, and greater pain reduction was maintained throughout the remaining 12-week study period. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were application site specific (notably erythema and pain), transient, and generally mild to moderate in severity. In patients with PHN, a single 60-minute application of NGX-4010 produced significant reduction in pain that was maintained over a 12-week period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]