Two neurosteroid medicines being tested for chronic low back pain in U.S. veterans
Official title: Investigating Novel Interventions for Low Back Pain in US Military Veterans: A Randomized Controlled Adaptive Phase II Trial
Funded at Durham VA Medical Center · NIH-11249118 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will compare two experimental neurosteroid medicines against a placebo to see if they safely ease chronic low back pain in U.S. military veterans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Durham VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX002667-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249118 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are U.S. military veterans with persistent chronic low back pain who meet the trial's medical and safety criteria and can attend clinic visits at the study site.
✕Less likely to help
People without chronic low back pain, with pain caused by conditions not targeted in the trial, or with medical contraindications to neurosteroids may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
You would be randomly assigned to one of three groups: one neurosteroid, the other neurosteroid, or a placebo, and neither you nor the staff would know which you get. The trial is double-blind and uses an adaptive design that can adjust group assignments as results come in to focus on the best options. Doctors will monitor your pain levels, side effects, and overall safety over the treatment period and collect health information and possibly blood samples. The work builds on earlier findings that one neurosteroid (pregnenolone) helped chronic low back pain and that another (DHEA) shows promise.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer veterans a safer, non-addictive medication option to reduce chronic low back pain.
How similar studies have gone: Prior randomized work reported that pregnenolone at a high dose reduced chronic low back pain, and early data for DHEA are promising, but larger trials are still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Durham VA Medical Center
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Naylor, Jennifer C — Durham VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Naylor, Jennifer C
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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.