Safer non-opioid medicines for nerve pain from chemotherapy
Flupirtine Analogue Synthesis and Screening for the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain
Testing new versions of the pain drug flupirtine to help people with chemotherapy-related nerve pain while lowering the risk of liver damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11267965 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating and screening new flupirtine-like compounds that aim to keep pain relief but avoid the liver toxicity that limited the original drug. They have already found one compound that worked in mouse models and was metabolized faster with no liver injury after injection. The team will synthesize additional analogues and test them in laboratory and mouse models of short- and long-term chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain, measuring pain behaviors and liver safety. Successful candidates would be prioritized for further development toward human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have nerve pain caused by chemotherapy (chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain) and who find current pain medicines inadequate could be eventual candidates for related clinical trials.
Not a fit: Patients whose pain is not related to chemotherapy or who already have severe liver disease may not benefit from these specific drug candidates.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a non-opioid treatment that reduces chemotherapy-related nerve pain with lower risk of liver injury.
How similar studies have performed: The original drug flupirtine relieved pain in clinical use but was withdrawn due to rare severe liver toxicity, and this analogue approach is relatively new with promising results so far in mice but not yet tested in people.
Where this research is happening
Omaha, United States
- University of Nebraska Medical Center — Omaha, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Duan, Bin — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Duan, Bin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.