8:00-8:45 Workshop Registration and Breakfast
8:45 Pre-Conference Workshop: Key Issues on the Critical Path in the Discovery of Medicines for Neuropathic Pain
This is highly interactive Executive Briefing, will explore some of the challenges associated with the discovery and development of new medicines to treat neuropathic pain. It provides an opportunity to consult with the experts and to brainstorm ideas relevant to the R&D activities of your own organisation. It will be most beneficial to those willing to engage in meaningful discussions and provides an ‘open space’ to explore ideas, targets and strategies. The major topics for expert discussion will include establishing optimal CNS exposure, CNS drug delivery and the predictive validity of experimental models of neuropathic pain. For more information about this workshop, CLICK HERE
11:45 Workshop concludes / Conference registration begins
12:45 Chair’s opening remarks
Daniel B. Carr, MD, CEO & Chief Medical Officer, Javelin Pharma
12:55 Overview of Chronic Pain: Emerging Implications for Pain Therapeutics
This presentation will cover the following key issues in the management of pain:
Alan Lebovits, Ph.D., Director, Psychological Services, Division of Neurology and Integrative Pain Medicine, ProHEALTH Care Associates, LLP and Associate Professor, Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine
1:35 Sodium Channel Blockers in Neuropathic Pain
This presentation will cover the following areas related to the development of sodium channel blockers for pain:
Catherine Abbadie, Ph.D., Sr. Research Fellow, Merck
2:15 Prospects for Intranasal Analgesia
The number of intranasal (IN) analgesics for which the USFDA has granted developmental status is now 16, indicating the attractiveness of IN analgesic therapy. It offers ease and low delivery-related expense, rapid absorption and onset of action, and lower doses than the oral route. At present, IN delivery of all three of the major “workhorse” classes of analgesics – NSAIDs, opioids, and adjuvants – is under clinical evaluation for patients with acute, chronic and cancer-related pain.
This presentation will focus upon emerging clinical experience with the latter two drug classes (specifically, morphine and ketamine) and describe evidence for their safety, efficacy and methods to address related concerns (e.g., risk management).
Daniel B. Carr, MD, CEO and Chief Medical Officer, Javelin Pharma
2:55-3:25 Afternoon Break / Networking session
3:25 The Coming Wave of Specialty Pharma Pain Therapies
Few therapeutic areas have as many specialty pharmaceutical products in development as the pain area. The speaker will characterize the pipeline of products in development and discuss the implications of these new approaches:
Gayle M. Mills, M.B.A., Executive Vice President, Business Operations, ROXRO PHARMA, Inc.
4:05 A New Class Drug Candidate for Chronic Pain and Other Indications
Identification and development of new drug candidates with novel mechanisms of action may provide needed advances in therapeutic options for certain neurological conditions. Identification and development of new drug candidates with novel mechanisms of action may provide needed advances in therapeutic options for certain neurological conditions.
One such approach involves attenuation of activated glial cells which have been recognized as key contributors to chronic neuropathic pain. We identified, and are developing, AV411 (ibudilast) for neuropathic pain based on several characteristics including good oral human pharmacokinetics, an encouraging clinical track record in an unrelated indication, and glial cell attenuation.
Preclinically, AV411 tested in nerve ligation rat models yields dose-related and durable attenuation of mechanical allodynia. Interestingly, it also resolves allodynia in taxol-induced rat neuropathy and has been shown to reduce morphine-induced glial activation and improve morphine tolerance and opioid withdrawal in rats. AV411 is in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials and results support its continued investigation for indicated neurological syndromes.
Kirk Johnson, Ph.D., VP Research and Development, Avigen
4:45 Panel Session: Drug Delivery and Specialty Pharma’s Impact on the Pain Therapeutics Market
Chair: Daniel B. Carr, MD, CEO & Chief Medical Officer, Javelin Pharma
Gayle M. Mills, M.B.A., Executive Vice President, Business. Operations, ROXRO PHARMA, Inc.
Thomas Han, Director of Strategic Marketing, Biovail Corp.
Stephen J. Turner, Vice President, Chief Technical Officer, SCOLR Pharma
5:25 Wine and cheese reception