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Boccella S, De Filippis L, Giorgio C, Brandolini L, Jones M, Novelli R, Amorizzo E, Leoni MLG, Terranova G, Maione S, Luongo L, Leone M, Allegretti M, Minnella EM, Aramini A. Combination Drug Therapy for the Management of Chronic Neuropathic Pain. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1802. [PMID: 38136672 PMCID: PMC10741625 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic neuropathic pain (NP) is an increasingly prevalent disease and leading cause of disability which is challenging to treat. Several distinct classes of drugs are currently used for the treatment of chronic NP, but each drug targets only narrow components of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, bears limited efficacy, and comes with dose-limiting side effects. Multimodal therapies have been increasingly proposed as potential therapeutic approaches to target the multiple mechanisms underlying nociceptive transmission and modulation. However, while preclinical studies with combination therapies showed promise to improve efficacy over monotherapy, clinical trial data on their efficacy in specific populations are lacking and increased risk for adverse effects should be carefully considered. Drug-drug co-crystallization has emerged as an innovative pharmacological approach which can combine two or more different active pharmaceutical ingredients in a single crystal, optimizing pharmacokinetic and physicochemical characteristics of the native molecules, thus potentially capitalizing on the synergistic efficacy between classes of drugs while simplifying adherence and minimizing the risk of side effects by reducing the doses. In this work, we review the current pharmacological options for the treatment of chronic NP, focusing on combination therapies and their ongoing developing programs and highlighting the potential of co-crystals as novel approaches to chronic NP management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Boccella
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via De Amicis, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Lidia De Filippis
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via S. Lucia, 20122 Milan, Italy; (L.D.F.); (R.N.); (M.L.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Cristina Giorgio
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via De Amicis, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Laura Brandolini
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via Campo di Pile, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.B.); (M.A.)
| | - Meghan Jones
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé US, 181 2nd Avenue, STE 600, San Mateo, CA 94401, USA;
| | - Rubina Novelli
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via S. Lucia, 20122 Milan, Italy; (L.D.F.); (R.N.); (M.L.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Ezio Amorizzo
- Pain Unit, San Paolo Hospital, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy;
- Pain Clinic Roma, 00191 Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Luigi Giuseppe Leoni
- Azienda USL di Piacenza, 29121 Piacenza, Italy;
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sabatino Maione
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.M.); (L.L.)
| | - Livio Luongo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.M.); (L.L.)
| | - Manuela Leone
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via S. Lucia, 20122 Milan, Italy; (L.D.F.); (R.N.); (M.L.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Marcello Allegretti
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via Campo di Pile, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.B.); (M.A.)
| | - Enrico Maria Minnella
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via S. Lucia, 20122 Milan, Italy; (L.D.F.); (R.N.); (M.L.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Andrea Aramini
- Research & Early Development (R&D), Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.A, Via Campo di Pile, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.B.); (M.A.)
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