Drug discovery and development for fibromyalgia using practical biomarkers throughout the process from relevant animal models to patients

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition characterized by widespread pain and complex comorbidities with a high unmet medical need. Given few past successes in the launch of analgesics with new mechanisms, the implementation of practical biomarkers for drug discovery and development would be necessary to rationally create innovative drugs for chronic pain conditions, including FM.

Areas covered

This review surveys the evidence on pathophysiology of FM and the findings regarding the pathophysiology-associated practical biomarker candidates in body fluids (e.g. blood) from the studies in FM patients. This review also summarizes the most commonly used animal models simulating key aspects of clinical FM features. Finally, a strategy for rationally creating innovative drugs for FM is discussed.

Expert opinion

Drug discovery and development for FM targeting immune dysregulation/inflammation would be a viable strategy based on the availability of the pathophysiology-associated practical biomarkers (e.g. serum interleukins), which monitor the efficacy of interventions and/or identify responders based on the matching pathophysiology throughout the process from animal models to patients. This strategy could lead to a breakthrough in the development of drugs for FM, a chronic pain condition.

KEYWORDS:

• Animal model
• fibromyalgia
• immune dysregulation
• monitoring biomarker
• pathophysiology
• predictive biomarker

Article highlights

• Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition characterized by widespread pain with high unmet medical needs.

• The implementation of practical biomarkers is necessary to rationally create innovative drugs for chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia.

• Immune dysregulation/inflammation is a high-priority target pathophysiology based on the availability of practical biomarkers (e.g. serum interleukins).

• Animal models simulating a key spectrum of clinical features of fibromyalgia have been used in the drug discovery research.

• Biomarkers could be used to identify responders and monitor the efficacy of interventions throughout the process, from animal models to patients.

• The strategy of using biomarkers would bring breakthroughs in methodologies for rationally creating drugs for chronic pain-associated conditions.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.