Explore the Agenda
8:30 am Check-In, Coffee & Light Breakfast
8:55 am Chair’s Opening Remarks Building
Building on NaV1.8 Success to Pave the Way for the Next Generation of Sodium Ion Channels
9:00 am Onzotrigine – Pharmacology of a Novel NaV1.8 Inhibitor
- Present compound potency, selectivity and mechanism of action
- Discuss translatable models of Nav1.8 target engagement
- Highlight efficacy in model systems: human DRG neurons and NHP microneurography
- Correlate inhibition of action potential firing with target inhibition levels
9:30 am Panel Discussion: How Will the Next Generation of Sodium Channel Therapies Differentiate in Pain?
- Following the first approval of a NaV1.8 inhibitor, where do the greatest opportunities for differentiation lie across NaV1.8, NaV1.7, NaV1.9 and other emerging sodium channel targets in acute, chronic and neuropathic pain?
- How should developers balance efficacy, safety, tolerability, tissue selectivity, CNS penetration and dosing convenience when designing next-generation sodium channel therapies?
- Is meaningful improvement now more likely to come through better molecule design, target engagement and patient selection, or through targeting different sodium channel subtypes and pain mechanisms?
- Which pain populations are most likely to benefit from specific sodium channel approaches, and how can developers better match mechanism to underlying disease biology and pain phenotype?
10:15 am Morning Break & Refreshments
Innovations in GLP1s & Monoamine as Novel Biology for Pain Management
11:00 am From Metabolic Health to Pain Relief: Assessing the Role of GLP-1 Therapies in Musculoskeletal Pain
- Exploring the mechanisms through which GLP-1 therapies may influence pain, inflammation, and physical function
- Examining emerging clinical evidence supporting incretin-based approaches in musculoskeletal disorders
- Applying lessons from recent trials to better evaluate efficacy in pain indications
- Improving assay sensitivity and clinical trial execution to accelerate development of next-generation
11:30 am Advancing Triple Monoamine Reuptake Inhibition as a Novel Non-Opioid Approach for Acute & Chronic Pain
- Reviewing the development of MAX-001, an optimized nefopam formulation designed to deliver rapid onset and extended analgesia without opioids or NSAIDs
- Exploring how preferential norepinephrine reuptake inhibition may modulate pain signalling across acute and chronic pain settings
- Translating Phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetic findings into future clinical development strategies for acute and chronic pain indications
- Positioning triple monoamine reuptake inhibition within the evolving landscape of next-generation non-opioid analgesics
12:00 pm Beyond Inflammation: Uncovering the Direct Role of JAK Signalling in Pain Modulation
- Evaluating clinical and translational evidence suggesting JAK inhibition may alleviate pain independently of its anti-inflammatory effects
- Exploring how JAK-mediated cytokine signalling influences sensory neuron activity and pain processing across immune-mediated diseases
- Understanding why pain often remains the primary unmet need for patients despite successful suppression of inflammatory biomarkers
- Identifying opportunities to leverage immune-pain biology to develop more effective therapies for inflammatory and non-inflammatory pain conditions
12:30 pm Lunch & Networking Expanding
Expanding Directions in Pain with Gene Therapies, Combination Treatments & Learnings from Migraine
1:30 pm Epigenetic Gene Regulation of NaV1.7: Reprogramming Pain Signalling for Durable Relief in Chronic Pain
- Harnessing zinc-finger epigenome regulation technology to selectively downregulate SCN9A, the gene encoding NaV1.7, a genetically validated driver of pain signalling
- Developing NT-Z001 as an AAV-delivered epigenetic therapy designed to provide long-lasting relief from neuropathic and inflammatory pain following a single administration
- Reviewing preclinical evidence demonstrating durable pain reduction without the addiction risks associated with opioids
- Exploring how epigenetic therapies could shift chronic pain treatment from symptom management to long-term modulation of pain biology
2:00 pm Potassium Channels as the Next Major Opportunity in Pain Therapeutics
- Understanding how Kv7 potassium channel activation reduces neuronal hyperexcitability to suppress pain signalling at its source
- Leveraging lessons from clinically validated Kv7 programs to accelerate development in pain indications
- Understanding the scientific rationale for pairing selective NaV1.7 inhibition with Kv7.2/7.3 activation to more effectively reduce sensory neuron hyperexcitability
- Assessing the long-term potential of Kv7 activators across neuropathic, inflammatory and musculoskeletal pain populations
3:00 pm Rewiring Maladaptive Pain Circuits: Advancing Psilocin-Based Therapies for Nociplastic Pain
- Distinguishing nociplastic pain from neuropathic pain and exploring the role of maladaptive neuroplasticity in sustaining chronic pain states
- Reviewing emerging clinical data on psychedelic assisted therapy in fibromyalgia, and IBS , including changes in functional outcomes and pain severity
- Evaluating neuroimaging and electrophysiological evidence, including fMRI and EEG biomarkers, to understand how psilocin may modulate central pain processing
- Discussing the translational path from early clinical findings with oral psilocybin, transitioning to an IV infusion of psilocin (TRP:8803) and meeting with FDA to help develop the regulatory strategy for future development opportunities across chronic pain indications
3:30 pm Afternoon Break & Refreshments
4:00 pm A Great Drug Is Not Enough: Overcoming Policy & Reimbursement Barriers to Improve Access to Non-Opioid Pain Therapies
- Assessing the policy and reimbursement barriers that continue to limit access to innovative pain treatments
- Understanding why patients are urgently seeking new treatment options in the wake of reduced opioid prescribing and limited chronic pain alternatives
- Exploring successful advocacy initiatives that have expanded payer coverage and influenced pain-related healthcare policy
- Identifying how drug developers, patient organizations and policymakers can work together to improve both commercial uptake and patient access for future therapies
4:30 pm Fireside Chat: What Will Pharma Buy Next in Pain?
- Assess how recent transactions, including Lilly’s acquisitions of SiteOne Therapeutics and 4E Therapeutics, and AbbVie’s licensing agreement with Haisco Pharmaceutical for HSK21542, are reshaping partnering and investment priorities across pain
- Define the translational, clinical and commercial evidence packages required to progress from early interest to competitive deal activity
- Explore which mechanisms, indications and patient populations are attracting the strongest external interest, from NaV1.8 inhibitors and peripheral targets through to neuroimmune and disease-modifying approaches
- Identify what differentiates a partnerable pain asset today, including target validation, patient selection strategy, clinical positioning and commercial potential