Pain Management Market

Medication used to relieve pain is known as a pain management medication. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an example of an over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication that works well for mild to moderate discomfort, including fever, headaches, and muscle pains. When used as prescribed, it's safe, but excessive dosages or liver disease might make it poisonous. Additionally, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to reduce pain and inflammation. Examples of these include aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). However, prolonged use of these medications might have adverse effects, such as upset stomach. The market offers topical pain medications in the form of gels or creams that are applied topically to the skin to relieve localized pain, such capsaicin cream.[1]

Opioids are highly addictive substances that can cause dependence and overdose. This is only one of the problems associated with pain management medications. Pain medication side effects include nausea, constipation, sleepiness, and dizziness; an overdose can have serious negative effects. Acetaminophen causes liver damage, NSAIDs cause stomach ulcers, and opioids cause respiratory depression. Because the body adjusts to medication over time, painkillers have limited effectiveness and tolerance. As with chronic pain, many of these medications don't offer sustained alleviation. When painkillers interact with other medications, there is a higher chance of toxicity and adverse consequences. Considering the price, some medications, particularly those that are brand-name, are very expensive. The stigma attached to the majority of painkillers, which is a fear of addiction or condemnation, can deter people from getting help. The inability to accurately quantify pain since it depends on the appropriate treatment is another difficulty. For example, there aren't many non-pharmacological methods for managing chronic pain. Overprescription and misuse raise the risk of addiction and overdose. [2]

Adapting Multimodal Pain Management by combining various therapies is one of the current techniques to tackle the difficulties associated with pain management medications. This method incorporates multiple therapies, including as physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, rather than depending exclusively on medicine. Reducing dependence on opioids is also necessary to reduce opioid use and the hazards that come with it. Through the implementation of stricter prescribing criteria and patient use monitoring, an opioid stewardship program aims to decrease the overprescription of opioids. Additionally, informing patients on the advantages and disadvantages of opioids can aid in their decision-making. [3]

While research is being conducted to produce novel pharmaceuticals such sodium ion channel targeting therapies that target pain pathways without the addictive potential of opioids, non-opioid pain management through the development of new non-opioid medications is more anticipated. Investigating non-pharmacological treatments like massage, acupuncture, and cognitive-behavioral therapy as well as alternative remedies like anti-inflammatory antibody medications.

Better pain assessment instruments might be developed in order to quantify pain more precisely, which would enable medical professionals to customize treatment regimens for each patient. In order to encourage people to seek therapy, stigma around pain and how to handle it must be addressed. In order to find more effective treatments with fewer side effects, research is still being done on more targeted medications that address particular pain processes. [4]

Early intervention is important because it can stop pain from becoming chronic and lessen the need for stronger, more side-effect-prone drugs. By developing a multimodal approach to reduce dependency on opiod-based medications, interdisciplinary pain management teams of healthcare experts may now deliver comprehensive pain management therapy. Finding creative approaches to pain management requires ongoing research into novel therapies and technological advancements.[5]

The market for pain management medications is divided into four segments: drug class, indication, kind of pain, and geography. The market is divided into NSAIDs, anesthetics, anticonvulsants, antimigraine medicines, antidepressants, opioids, and nonnarcotic analgesics based on pharmacological class. Opioids are further divided into oxycodone, hydrocodone, tramadol, and other substances like methadone, morphine, fentanyl, meperidine, and codeine. The market is segmented by indication, including fibromyalgia, migraine, neuropathic pain, cancer pain, chronic back pain, postoperative pain, muscular sprain/strain, bone fracture, acute appendicitis, and others.[6]

Emerging Therapies and Targets to pain management

In order to meet the unmet demands in pain management, the pharmaceutical sector is aggressively investigating innovative techniques. Modulating neuroinflammation is one of the promising targets and treatments. Pain can be reduced by lowering inflammation in the neural system, particularly in chronic disorders like arthritis. The next strategy is to target ion channels, which are important for the transmission of pain. New therapeutic possibilities may be provided by medications that may affect these channels. Gene therapy techniques are a more recent development that is being investigated to alter pain circuits and offer permanent relief. The pharmaceutical industry hopes to create safer and more efficient pain management treatments by tackling these issues and keeping up its investment in R&D.

The oral medication VX-548 from Vertex Pharmaceuticals treats moderate-to-severe acute pain and neuropathic pain by blocking the NaV1.8 sodium channel. A non-opioid medication called VX-548 acts on peripheral nerves, which are located outside of the brain and spinal cord. According to reports, Suzetrigine was created to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy and moderate-to-severe acute pain. The FDA has given it priority evaluation, and a target action date of January 30, 2025, is still pending.[7]

The big molecule GSK-3858279 from GlaxoSmithKline is being developed to treat diabetic neuropathic pain and osteoarthritis pain. It comes in the form of a solution that is injected and applied subcutaneously. The immunomodulatory monoclonal antibody that is the therapeutic candidate targets CCL17. GSK-3858279 is presently in Phase II of clinical development for osteoarthritis pain.[8]

For the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) pain, Grünenthal GmbH is developing RTX-GRT7039 (resiniferatoxin; RTX), a strong and specific agonist of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). Ongoing phase 3 open-label trial to evaluate RTX-GRT7039 injections' safety and tolerability for KOA. [9]

Voltage-gated sodium channels, specifically NaV1.7, control pain. Researchers employed two gene editing methods—CRISPR-Cas9 and zinc finger proteins—to investigate pain alleviation. Targeting the NaV1.7 gene and reducing its expression without changing the DNA sequence was the goal of both strategies. This method, called LATER, presents a possible novel approach to chronic pain alleviation. Charles River Laboratories and Navega Therapeutics have partnered to produce NT-Z001, an AAV-based gene therapy, for Phase I clinical trials. Charles River will leverage its Cell and Gene Therapy Accelerator Program to provide CDMO services and advisory support to Navega. Navega's therapy targets a genetic mutation in the Nav 1.7 gene, which is associated with inherited pain conditions like erythromelalgia and small fiber neuropathy.[10]

The size of the global market for pain management medications was assessed at USD 81.15 billion in 2023 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4% from 2024 to 2033, reaching approximately USD 120.16 billion.[11]

Above figure represents the pain management drug market size from 2023 to 2033 in billion $UDS

The global market for painkillers is divided into four regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Due to the high number of patients with chronic illnesses, the North American region generated a revenue share of about 44.80% in 2023.[11]

Above figure represents the pain management drug use by region in 2023

In conclusion, the field of pain treatment is complicated and fraught with difficulties. Even though conventional drugs like acetaminophen, NSAIDs, and opioids provide relief, they frequently have drawbacks and restrictions. Researchers are looking into cutting-edge strategies like targeted treatments, non-opioid medicines, and multimodal pain management to address these issues. CRISPR-Cas9 and other gene editing methods have the potential to target particular pain circuits. Furthermore, new treatments including neuromodulation and cannabinoid-based therapy are being researched. The objective is to create safer and more efficient pain management solutions by integrating these tactics.

Reference:

1. Frank D. Brodkey, Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Reviewed on: October 23, 2022; Accessed on: November 24, 2024 URL: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002123.htm

2. Mayo Clinic, Chronic pain: Medication decisions. Published on: February 08, 2024; Accessed on: November 24, 2024 URL: https://www.mayoclinic.org/chronic-pain-medication-decisions/art-20360371

3. Shi Y, Wu W. Multimodal non-invasive non-pharmacological therapies for chronic pain: mechanisms and progress. BMC Med. 2023 Sep 29;21(1):372.

4. Woolf CJ. Capturing Novel Non-opioid Pain Targets. Biol Psychiatry. 2020 Jan 1;87(1):74-81.

5. Morcillo-Muñoz Y, Castellano MHJ, Exposito FJD, Sanchez-Guarnido AJ, Alcantara MG, Baena-Parejo MI. Multimodal Interventions to Improve the Management of Chronic Non-Malignant Pain in Primary Care Using Participatory Research. Clin Pract. 2021 Aug 26;11(3):561-581.

6. Allied Market Research, Pain Management Drugs Market. Published on: July 2024 ; Accessed on: November 24, 2024 URL: https://www.marketresearch.com/Allied-Market-Research-v4029/Pain-Management-Drugs-Drug-Class-38437846/

7. Vertex Announces Advancements of Suzetrigine (VX-548) in Acute and Neuropathic Pain, Published on: April 18, 2024 ; Accessed on: November 14, 2024 URL: https://investors.vrtx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/vertex-announces-advancements-suzetrigine-vx-548-acute-and

8. Global data, Pharmaceutical Technology. Updated on: August 08, 2024; Published on: November 24 URL: https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/data-insights/gsk-3858279-gsk-osteoarthritis-pain-likelihood-of-approval/

9. Center watch, Open-label Trial to Check the Safety and Tolerability of RTX-GRT7039 Injections for Pain Associated With Osteoarthritis of the Knee. Updated on:;Accessed on: November 12, 2024; November 24,2024                          URL: https://www.centerwatch.com/clinical-trials/listings/NCT05377489/open-label-trial-to-check-the-safety-and-tolerability-of-rtx-grt7039-injections-for-pain-associated-with-osteoarthritis-of-the-knee

10. Charles River and Navega Therapeutics Announce Comprehensive Gene Therapy Manufacturing Collaboration. Published on: March 14,2024  ; Accessed on: November 24,2024 URL: https://ir.criver.com/news-releases/news-release-details/charles-river-and-navega-therapeutics-announce-comprehensive

11. Precedence Research, Pain Management Drugs Market. Updated on: June, 2024; Accessed on: November 24, 2024 URL: https://www.precedenceresearch.com/pain-management-drugs-market

About the author

Shruti Talashi

boasts a dual mastery of lab research and writing. Her doctoral study outcome as M.Phil in biomedical science while studying breast cancer and an extraordinary masters degrees dissertation work on exploring role of Gal-lectin in cancer metastasis fuels her extensive research interests. She has gained few publication in journals. Bridging the science-public gap is her passion, aided by expertise in diverse techniques. From oncology to antibiotic/drugs production, she's led and managed complex projects, even clinical trials. Now, as a freelance Content Coordinator for Sinoexpo Pharmasource.com, her industry knowledge shines through valuable insights on cutting-edge topics like GMP, QbD, and biofoundry.