Explore the Agenda
8:00 am Check-In, Coffee & Light Breakfast
Track 1: Discovery & Preclinical
Designed for discovery scientists, pharmacologists, translational researchers, medicinal chemists, biomarker specialists and preclinical R&D leaders focused on identifying, validating and advancing novel non-opioid pain mechanisms from target discovery through IND-enabling studies.
Workshop A
9:00 am Translating Human Pain Biology Beyond Animal Models into Predictive Drug Development
This workshop will explore how human-relevant models can improve translation from preclinical discovery to clinical success by generating more predictive evidence earlier in development. Attendees will discuss how complementary in vitro, ex vivo, computational and experimental human approaches can strengthen decision-making and reduce reliance on less predictive models.
Key Questions Addressed:
- How can human iPSC-derived sensory neurons, primary human DRG and other scalable platforms improve translational relevance and enable more predictive screening?
- What can we learn from integrated model systems, from human cell-based assays through to animal validation, to better understand pain mechanisms and therapeutic requirements?
- How are New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), including 3D tissue models and computational tools, gaining acceptance and being incorporated into pain drug development?
- How can developers combine human-relevant models to strengthen go/no-go decisions, identify liabilities earlier and improve confidence before entering the clinic?
Track 2: Translational & Clinical
Designed for translational medicine experts, clinical scientists, clinical development leaders, physician-scientists, medical directors and regulatory specialists focused on improving clinical trial design, establishing proof-of-mechanism, reducing translational risk and advancing pain therapies through the clinic.
Workshop B
9:00 am Optimizing Clinical Trial Design to Detect Efficacy & Mitigate High Placebo Response in Chronic Pain
This workshop will explore practical strategies to improve assay sensitivity in pain trials by reducing placebo response, refining patient selection and optimizing endpoint design. Attendees will discuss how study design choices can strengthen efficacy signals, improve regulatory confidence and increase the likelihood of clinical success across diverse pain populations.
Key Topics Covered:
- How can patient selection criteria, trial design and site execution be optimized to reduce placebo response and improve signal detection in chronic pain studies?
- What role do biomarkers, patient-reported outcomes and clinically meaningful endpoints play in distinguishing true treatment effects from placebo-driven responses?
- How should crossover, parallel-group and other trial designs be applied across acute, chronic and paediatric pain indications to maximize sensitivity and relevance?
- What evolving regulatory approaches, including historical controls and single pivotal trial pathways, could streamline development while maintaining robust efficacy and safety standards?
12:00 pm Lunch
Workshop C
1:00 pm Discovering & Validating Novel Targets to Drug Ready Mechanisms for Non-Opioid Pain
As the field looks beyond sodium channel blockers and established approaches, identifying the next generation of clinically meaningful pain targets remains a critical challenge. This workshop will explore emerging pain biology, novel therapeutic mechanisms and modern target discovery approaches, with a focus on translating biological insights into validated, drug-ready opportunities.
Key Topics Covered:
- How can human genetics, multi-omics datasets and AIenabled approaches uncover novel pain mechanisms and identify high-priority therapeutic targets?
- What can emerging insights into neuroinflammation, central sensitization, neuronal plasticity and neuroimmune interactions reveal about the drivers of chronic pain?
- Which novel target classes, including neuroimmune pathways, microglial signalling, adenosine receptors, NOX pathways, ATTR-related mechanisms and GLP-1 signalling, show the greatest therapeutic potential?
- How can developers distinguish compelling biology from truly druggable opportunities by assessing causality, tractability, target engagement and translational confidence?
Workshop D
1:00 pm Target Failure or Trial Failure? Re-Evaluating Why Pain Programs Fail
When pain programs fail, it can be difficult to determine whether the underlying biology was flawed or whether efficacy signals were obscured by trial design, patient heterogeneity or inappropriate endpoint selection. This workshop will explore how developers can learn from negative studies, identify responsive patient populations and generate more informative clinical development strategies for future pain therapeutics.
Key Topics Covered:
- How can developers distinguish true target failure from shortcomings in trial design, patient selection or endpoint strategy?
- What impact do patient heterogeneity, comorbidities, concomitant medications and disease duration have on detecting treatment benefit in pain studies?
- What lessons can be learned from programs that failed to meet endpoints, and how might alternative study designs or stratification approaches have altered outcomes?
- How can biomarkers, responder analyses and subgroup identification help uncover hidden efficacy signals and improve future development decisions?