Paincart 2.0 project
Main body
The PainCart 2.0 project aims to improve pharmacological research in early stages without the need for specific patient groups or large trials, by developing and improving methods to assess drug efficacy and side-effects in phase 1 studies on healthy subjects. This allows for a more informed Go/No-Go decision on whether to proceed with a specific drug to later stages.
Currently, development of new medication is a time-consuming and expensive process, where efficacy and safety can often only be assessed in late stages of the pharmacological research path. In many fields however, including pain research, there is a strong need for new and improved drugs, as current medication might be inadequate or come with severe drawbacks. Accelerating development of new medication can therefore have major global impact. Especially in a complex field as chronic pain, which is one of the most prevalent conditions in humans worldwide, new drugs can lead to more specialized and safer treatment. Allowing for earlier analysis of analgesics’ efficacy and adverse effects can therefore preserve time and money for development of other drugs.
To achieve the goal of early assessment, we will extend the existing PainCart test battery with new methods to observe the nociceptive system and side-effects caused by analgesics. Firstly, a new, specialized electrode will be developed. With this electrode, the nociceptive system can be effectively targeted and activated to obtain more detailed insights into its functionality and changes due to pain disorders or drugs. Moreover, we aim to simulate patient like behavior in healthy participants by temporarily inducing a higher sensitivity to pain or tactile stimuli, allowing for early drug efficacy without the need of specific patient groups. Lastly, the project aims to improve early detection of the adverse effect of drugs on respiratory function by measuring and controlling respiration following the application of analgesics.
