Chronic pain treatment pipeline could yield innovative alternatives to opioids; report

Although opioids continue to dominate the chronic pain market, adverse events associated with the drug such as the potential for abuse mean the treatment space is rife with unmet needs, which is encouraging pharmaceutical companies to explore innovative alternatives to opioids.

According to business intelligence provider GBI Research’s latest report, while opioids remain the most effective modes of treatment, their potential for abuse has yet to be addressed, and thus their effectiveness is limited in chronic pain conditions, as they cannot be used for prolonged durations.

Dominic Trewartha, managing analyst for GBI Research, states: “Moderate-to-severe pain has been and continues to be dominated by opioids, which are increasingly being reformulated to offer abuse resistance, whereas mild pain is effectively being treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). However, significant unmet needs remain, as chronic pain subtypes – and particularly neuropathic pain – often do not respond well to existing therapies, which do not align well with the underlying molecular pathophysiological causes of pain.”