Pain affects one in five adults at some point in their lives.1 From chronic pain to post-operative pain, finding solutions has been at the forefront of research for decades.
- In 2021, approximately 20.9% of adults in the U.S. (51.6 million people) experienced chronic pain.2
- More than 80% of surgical patients experience post-operative pain.3
Because pain is subjective and cannot be objectively measured, treatment is challenging. The treatment of pain is further complicated by the addictive nature of opioids, which include medicines such as morphine, fentanyl and tramadol. The pharmacological effects of opioids can lead to difficulties breathing, opioid overdose, and in some cases, death.4
- In 2019, approximately 600,000 deaths globally were attributable to drug use, and almost 80% of those deaths were opioid-related.4
Researchers are now searching for alternative pain treatments to opioids, and the NIH HEAL Initiative supports new research programs to establish guidelines for non-opioid treatments.5
Innovative New Classes of Drugs
In January 2025, the FDA approved Journavx (suzetrigine), a first-in-class non-opioid analgesic to treat moderate to severe pain in adults that is intended to be non-addictive. Journavx pills target a pathway involving sodium channels before pain signals reach the brain.6
Oliceridine is the first drug in new a class of opioids that may limit the adverse effects of traditional opioids. With a distinctly different structure from previously developed opioids, these drugs proved to be effective in Phase 3 studies and are approved by the FDA to treat moderate to severe acute pain. They offer clinicians new treatment options that may suit some patients better than traditional opioids.7,8
At Duke University, a new approach to treatment is in development. An experimental drug called SBI-810 targets a receptor on the nerves and spinal cord, activating only a specific pain-relieving pathway and avoiding the habit-forming high of opioids. SBI-810 was effective on its own and even made opioids more effective when given to patients at lower doses.9
A National Effort to Combat Addiction
The NIH HEAL Initiative includes many programs aiming to advance innovative therapies and approaches to pain management. From developing predictive models to help patients recover faster, to biomarker research that can advance clinical development, HEAL also supports advancing health equity in pain management.10
Pain continues to be ubiquitous and challenging to treat. There is an urgent need for new solutions and precision-medicine approaches. Promising new research may help guide patients toward more effective treatments.
Sources:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666379124005330
- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7215a1.htm
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5626380/
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/opioid-overdose
- https://heal.nih.gov/research/clinical-research
- https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-novel-non-opioid-treatment-moderate-severe-acute-pain
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8054572/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8629156/#REF25
- https://medschool.duke.edu/news/experimental-painkiller-could-outsmart-opioids-without-high
- https://heal.nih.gov/research/clinical-research
