New HEAL Research Priorities Article | Engineering the Next Generation of Pain Therapeutics: A Shift Toward Mechanism-Based Discovery
Accelerating the drug development pipeline requires bridging the gap between basic academic science and successful clinical translation. The latest installment in the HEAL Research Priorities series examines Priorities B and C, focusing on the rigorous development of novel, highly efficacious pharmaceutical modalities and the human-centric models needed to discover them.
In this new interview, Stephani Sutherland, PhD, speaks with John Markman, MD (Eli Lilly & Co.), and Ted Price, PhD (University of Texas at Dallas), about shifting away from traditional "magic bullet" approaches and toward a sophisticated, multi-platform ecosystem of targeted pain therapies.
Key Topics Include:
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Diverse Therapeutic Platforms & Novel Targets: Systematically navigating an abundance of emerging mechanisms by leveraging small molecules, nucleic acid-based therapies, and antibody platforms to unlock previously "undruggable" pathways.
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The Oncology Model for Pain Research: Adopting deep-phenotyping, genetic matching, and human-cellular models to maximize clinical learning and accelerate translational timelines, drawing from the targeted successes of modern cancer research.
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Prioritizing Tolerability and Peripheral Analgesics: Addressing the critical mandate from patient partners for safer options with highly optimized therapeutic windows and significantly reduced central nervous system (CNS) side effects.
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Bridging the Academic-Pharma "Valley of Death": Evaluating how strategic federal drive and mechanisms like HEAL drug-discovery grants (UG3/UH3) provide the vital infrastructure to propel early-stage data to the doorstep of Phase 2 trials.
Read the full interview to explore how mechanism-based clinical trials are reshaping the future of pain medicine, and join the discussion in the PURPOSE forum to share your insights on industry-academic collaboration and the next generation of non-addictive therapeutics.