Discontinued neuropathic pain therapy between 2009-2015

Studies have shown that neuropathic pain remains imprecisely responsive to conventional therapies, therefore posing an ongoing, vexing clinical conundrum for healthcare resource utilization. This manuscript reflects the stark reality of the limited pharmacological choices available to clinicians and is a reflective of an ongoing need for more extensive neuropathic pain clinical research.

The authors review a total of 33 potential drugs for neuropathic pain which were discontinued in the period between 01/01/2009 and 12/31/2014. Eleven drugs were terminated in the first phase of clinical trials; nineteen were discontinued in the second phase, while only three drugs reached the third phase.

Since only 40-60% of patients obtain partial pain relief from current neuropathic pain treatment options, assuring that they receive new medications for this complex disorder is imperative. However, the authors believe that future studies should not only focus on the discovery of new compounds. Efforts should also be devoted to developing a better understanding of the therapeutic challenges of neuropathic pain, as well as to designing and carrying out clinical trials in collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, physicians and scientists. Furthermore, the authors believe that other outcome measures besides pain intensity, such as functionality and quality of life, should receive more attention.