Headache
| Pharmacology
Headache
Pharmacology

NIH HEAL Initiative Programs to Accelerate Development of Non-addictive Therapeutics for Pain: Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain and Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network

book_2 Source: AHSAM 2020 - Poster session Published on October 2, 2020 | NEW
calendar_today Published on Medfyle: September 2020
headphones 3 min

This Medfyle was published more than two years ago. More recent Medfyle on this topic may now be available.

Key messages

  • The Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative, or NIH HEAL InitiativeSM aims to focus efforts on advancing scientific solutions to stem the opioid crisis, improving prevention and treatment of opioid misuse/addiction, and enhancing pain management.
  • Within the HEAL Initiative, NINDS has been tasked with identifying, developing, and testing non-opioid, non-addictive pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapeutics for pain including headache.
  • As a result, NINDS established the Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP) and the Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net) to accelerate and enhance testing of novel, non-addictive pain therapeutics; PSPP and EPPIC-Net will evaluate new, as well as repurposed, small molecules, biologics, devices, and natural products across a range of pain conditions, including headache; both programs are accepting assets from academic and industry sponsors, worldwide.
Presenting Author
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Sarah A. Woller, PhD
Scientific Project Manager
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Rockville, Maryland

Sarah Woller, PhD joined the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Division of Translational Research (DTR) in March 2019 and currently serves as the Scientific Project Manager for the Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP).

Dr. Woller completed her Ph.D. at Texas A&M University where her dissertation work focused on understanding the addictive potential of morphine following spinal cord injury (SCI), and how opioid administration contributes to the development of pain and affects locomotor recovery after SCI. After completion of her Ph.D., Dr. Woller began a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). At UCSD, she conducted in vivo studies using pharmacologic and genetic manipulations to examine mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to chronic pain with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis, chemotherapeutic-induced peripheral neuropathy, and sex-differences. Most recently, Dr. Woller was the Associate Director of Preclinical Research at BioAxone BioSciences Inc. where she led a team responsible for in vivo proof-of-concept studies, including validation of critical biomarkers and IND-enabling studies for small molecule and nucleic acid drug candidates with indications in neurovascular disorders and neurotrauma.

Author disclosures
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Sarah A. Woller, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.


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