The neuropathic pain market is the most valuable segment within the pain indications and was valued at $10.8bn in 2020 globally. It is forecast to reach $25.2bn by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9%. The launch of different late-stage pipeline products throughout the forecast period will contribute heavily to the growth expected in the neuropathic pain market, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The company’s report, ‘Global Pain Therapeutics Market Overview’, states that the pain therapeutics market is highly genericized with a wide range of treatment options available for pain indications. There are currently 12,048 marketed pain products globally. Mixed Pain products lead the group with 7,715 products approved, followed by Neuropathic Pain with 5,545 approved drugs and lastly Nociceptive Pain with 4,036 approved products.

The main focus for development in the pipeline is drugs for neuropathic pain indications. There are currently 315 pain therapeutics in development globally. Neuropathic pain therapies lead with 138 pipeline agents, followed by mixed pain and nociceptive pain with 96 and 81 drugs, respectively. The majority of products in development are in Phase II, with 137 products in the pipeline, followed by 106 products in Phase I and 55 in Phase III.

Alessio Brunello, Managing Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The Innovation in the pain market over the last decade has been limited to new drug delivery systems, new extended-release formulations, and the repositioning of anticonvulsant and antidepressant therapeutics for difficult-to-treat pain conditions. Despite the improvements in symptom relief offered by new treatments and delivery systems, the pain market still has significant unmet needs. Opioids remain the most effective modes of treatment. However, because of their abuse potential, they are typically administered for chronic pain conditions. Furthermore, there is a significant lack of therapeutics that provide adequate relief for chronic pain types. This has resulted in regulatory changes, with the FDA employing tighter restrictions regarding the prescription and labeling of painkillers, as well as actively encouraging the development of novel analgesics.

“Chronic pain represents one of the most important public health problems in terms of the number of patients afflicted and healthcare cost. Most patients with chronic pain are treated with medications as the mainstay of therapy, yet most medically treated patients continue to report ongoing pain. Existing pain medications have significant limitations and adverse events including tolerance, dependence, gastrointestinal dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and a narrow therapeutic window, making the search for novel analgesics even more important.”