Lack of Detection of the Analgesic Properties of PF‐05089771, a Selective Na(v)1.7 Inhibitor, Using a Battery of Pain Models in Healthy Subjects

Sodium channel blockers are used for the treatment of pain, but this is limited by the lack of selectivity for different sodium channel subtypes, which can result in central nervous system and cardiovascular side effects. As such, there is special interest in the Na(v)1.7 subtype, which is expressed predominantly in nociceptive and sympathetic neurons. The aim was to demonstrate analgesic properties of a potent selective Na(v)1.7 sodium channel blocker, PF‐05089771, alone and concomitantly with pregabalin in healthy subjects using a battery of human evoked pain models. This was a double‐blind, double‐dummy, randomized, placebo‐controlled, five‐period cross‐over study with PF‐05089771 alone and PF‐05089771 concomitantly with pregabalin as treatment arms with pregabalin, ibuprofen, and placebo as control arms (NCT02349607). A battery of human evoked pain models was used to investigate analgesic properties of PF‐05089771. Twenty‐five subjects were enrolled in the study of which 23 subjects completed all five periods. PF‐05089771 alone did not differ from placebo on the primary pain end points. The same holds when comparing PF‐05089771 concomitantly with pregabalin and pregabalin alone. Pregabalin showed significant effects relative to placebo on thermal pain on the normal skin and UVB skin (least squares means with 90% confidence interval: 0.63 (0.32–0.93) and 0.53 (0.11–0.96)), pressure stimulation (1.10 (1.04–1.18)), and cold pressor (1.22 (1.14–1.32)). Ibuprofen demonstrated significant effects on thermal pain UVB skin (1.26 (0.82–1.70)) and pressure stimulation assessment (1.08 (1.01–1.15)), consistent with historical results. This study did not demonstrate analgesic properties of PF‐05089771 alone or concomitantly with pregabalin in a battery of pain models.