Intrathecal baclofen: incidents with implantable drug pump system.(Safety and Efficacy Issues)

Canada -- Baclofen (Lioresal[R]) is a muscle relaxant and antispastic agent (1). Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) is indicated for the management of severe spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis unresponsive to oral baclofen therapy or who experience unacceptable adverse reactions at effective oral doses. It is also used in patients with spasticity of cerebral origin (1). ITB injection, which delivers the drug directly to its site of action, can achieve cerebrospinal fluid levels up to 30 times higher than those achieved using oral baclofen therapy, with minimal serum concentrations (2). Patients receive baclofen as a continuous intrathecal infusion from …