Overcoming obstacles to developing new analgesics

Nat Med. 2010 Nov;16(11):1241-7. doi: 10.1038/nm.2230. Epub 2010 Oct 14.

Abstract

Despite substantial investment by the pharmaceutical industry over several decades, there has been little progress in developing new, efficacious and safe analgesics. As a result, many large pharmaceutical companies are leaving the area of pain medication. Nevertheless, the chances of success could increase if analgesic drug development strategy changed. To achieve such a paradigm shift we must understand why development of drugs for pain relief is so challenging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics / economics
  • Analgesics / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Drug Approval
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Humans
  • Marketing
  • Patents as Topic
  • Physicians
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • Analgesics