Ralfinamide administered orally before hindpaw neurectomy or postoperatively provided long-lasting suppression of spontaneous neuropathic pain-related behavior in the rat.

Ralfinamide is analgesic when applied as a single dose in rodent models of stimulus-evoked chronic pain. However, it is unknown whether its chronic application after nerve injury can suppress spontaneous chronic pain, the main symptom driving patients to seek treatment. In this study ralfinamide was administered to rats at doses producing plasma levels similar to those causing analgesia in pain patients.