Advancing Analgesic Development for Peripheral Neuropathic Pain: Multi-Targeting Sodium Channels

Peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) remains a significant therapeutic challenge, as current drug therapies often provide limited relief and are associated with numerous side effects. This underscores the urgent need for the development of more effective and targeted analgesics. Voltage-gated sodium channels Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 have emerged as critical players in nociceptive signal transmission, making them prime targets for analgesic discovery. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the current research and development landscape of clinical analgesic drugs targeting Nav1.7 and Nav1.8, based on publicly available data and literature reports. We assess the number of compounds under investigation, the involvement of pharmaceutical companies, and the success rates of these efforts. Additionally, we analyze the reasons behind the failures in analgesic development, offering valuable insights to guide the discovery and development of novel, efficient analgesics for neuropathic pain.