Funding Announcements

Clinical Evaluation of Adjuncts to Opioid Therapies for the Treatment of Chronic Pain (R01)

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) aims to fund applications designed to assess the clinical value of adjuncts prescribed to chronic pain patients together with opioid analgesics. Adjuncts of interest are either approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or have previously been studied as an investigational new drug. Studies with adjuncts of interest should be focused on enhancing analgesia rather than on reducing an adverse effect. A secondary purpose is to increase awareness among opioid prescribers of the potential value of adjunctive therapies by focused data dissemination.

It is hoped that by increasing availability of data describing the use of opioid adjuncts, their use will increase and levels of opioids needed for analgesia will diminish. Reductions in the dosage of opioids prescribed would improve the quality of life of chronic pain patients by reducing opioid-associated adverse effects and lowering the risk of addiction development.

Studies should examine clinical populations and address whether a proposed adjunct can reduce the dose of opioid required for analgesia compared with opioid monotherapy. Applications will be evaluated on the feasibility, scientific rigor, and likely value of the proposed outcomes of randomized control trials (RCTs) to study opioid-adjunct combinations. In addition, the investigators should describe their plan to disseminate the study results. This plan will be evaluated with a view to how effectively the study results will be communicated to the types of healthcare providers who typically prescribe opioids to the chronic pain population under examination.

The purpose of this FOA is to examine adjunctive therapies to reduce the need for opioids in chronic pain patients. Therefore, in the patient group under investigation the pain syndrome should chronologically precede opioid exposure and the opioids should be prescribed as a treatment for the pain.

In the population proposed to be studied, the subjects should be etiologically homogenous and symptomatically well defined. Examples of such chronic pain populations in which opioids often are prescribed include patients with radicular cervical pain, metastatic bone pain, or peripheral neuropathies.

Studies should use an RCT design to examine opioid and adjunct formulations that are either typically used in the outpatient chronic pain population under study or are feasible for daily use in that population. For example, a formulation that requires once a day oral dosing is likely to be of much higher programmatic interest than a formulation requiring multiple daily dosing or intrathecal administration. Adjuncts to be examined should preferably be FDA approved, examples of which would include pregabalin, duloxetine, or dronabinol. However, agents that currently are being (or previously have been) studied as investigational new drugs (for example, Sativex/Nabiximols) also will be considered.

Submissions were accepted beginning September 5 and letters of intent are due 30 days before applications are due. For more information about this funding opportunity, visit the NIH grants page.

Development of Opioid and Adjuvant Fixed Combination Dosage Forms for the Treatment of Chronic Pain with Reduced Addiction Potential (R41/R42)

This funding opportunity announcement seeks small business organizations to develop opioid and adjuvant drug combinations within a single dosage form for treatment of a pain condition. The drug combination should provide improved analgesia when compared with the same dose (morphine equivalents) of opioid monotherapy. Such dosage forms should minimize opioid exposure while optimizing analgesia to reduce risk of addiction and limit severity of other opiate adverse effects.

When designing this new product, investigators should consider FDA guidance (21 CFR 300.50) and address the following issues. Both of the agents contained in the proposed new product should currently have at least one existing FDA-approved indication, as well as some existing clinical evidence to support the use of the chosen adjuvant-opioid combination and a reasonable expectation that the combination will present minimal drug-drug interaction concerns. The application should emphasize available evidence that the chosen drugs and doses in the combination will allow a substantial patient population to gain sufficient analgesic value from the contained opioid dose while the adjuvant dose remains within a safe and effective "therapeutic window." One example of a potentially viable adjuvant is gabapentin, a drug known to reduce neuropathic pain and to which patients typically exhibit no more than mild adverse effects. Gabapentin typically does not induce substantial drug interactions because it is eliminated as parent drug by renal excretion and does not bind extensively to blood proteins.

The adjuvant should be chosen for a capacity to increase overall analgesia, rather than an ability to reduce opioid adverse effects. For example, inclusion of a poorly absorbed opioid receptor antagonist, with the intent of reducing constipation, would not be considered of high programmatic interest.

The combination dosage form proposed by the application should provide sustained relief when it is the only analgesic used and is administered no more than three times in a 24-hour period. The formulation should be such that a patient with reasonable mobility is able to self-administer the drug (e.g., oral dosage form).

The application should propose late-stage drug development–oriented studies that significantly drive the project toward an ultimate aim of a New Drug Application [505(b)(1 or 2)] or Abbreviated New Drug Application [505(j)] for the treatment of a long-term pain condition.

Studies planned for Phase 1 of the project should focus on issues that concern the feasibility of the project. The exact nature of such studies will differ depending on the proposed drug combination project.

Studies that might be appropriate for Phase 1 STTR applications include, but are not limited to

• development of a formulation that safely delivers the desired amount of both agents over an appropriate dosing interval
  
• preclinical studies demonstrating additive or synergistic analgesia with the opioid-adjuvant combination
  
• studies to provide data for an Investigational New Drug (IND) submission, such as short-term stability studies
  
• pre-IND consultations with an FDA project management group and development of the IND documentation.

Examples of projects appropriate for Phase 2 of an STTR award might include

• pharmacokinetic absorption and disposition studies to demonstrate the bioequivalence between approved dosage forms and the proposed product
  
• proof of concept clinical studies. Appropriate outcome measures might aim to detect and distinguish value added by an opioid adjunctive therapy, whether due to improved analgesia or reduced required opioid dosage.

Submissions were accepted beginning March 5 and letters of intent are due 30 days before applications are due. For more information about this funding opportunity, visit the NIH grants page.

Neurobiology of Migraine (R01)

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is issued by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pain Consortium. It solicits R01 grant applications from institutions and organizations to perform innovative research that will elucidate the mechanisms underlying migraine; expand our current knowledge of the role of genetic, physiological, biopsychosocial, and environmental influences in migraine susceptibility and progression; and explore new therapeutic targets and therapies for acute migraine management and longer term prevention.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is interested in research that would elucidate the mechanisms by which a given complementary or integrative health approach beneficially affects migraine, either as an acute intervention or prophylactically. For this FOA, complementary or integrative health approaches could include those within the “mind and body” domain but not in the “natural products” domain and would include, but are not limited to, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, qi-gong, acupuncture, massage, and spinal manipulation. The primary outcomes for these studies should be focused directly on the mechanism(s), though it may be appropriate to have secondary outcomes that assess clinical outcomes. There should be sufficient prior data to indicate either efficacy or effectiveness of the proposed complementary or integrative health approach.

The National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is interested in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying migraine headache as they pertain to overlaps with pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic temporomandibular and other orofacial pain disorders. Research examining common genetic, environmental, neurobiological, and biobehavioral factors underlying the co-occurrence of these disorders is encouraged. NIDCR is interested in funding meritorious research that focuses on studies addressing the comorbidity of temporomandibular and other orofacial disorders and migraine headache.

NIDCR is interested in the development of diagnostic, interventional, and novel therapeutic tools for headache pain associated with a variety of communication disorders such as tinnitus, Meniere’s disease, odynophagia, and burning mouth syndrome. Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the program director or principal investigator (PD or PI) is invited to work with his or her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities always are encouraged to apply for NIH support.

Submissions will be accepted beginning May 5. For more information about this funding opportunity, visit the NIH grants page.

Education

2015 Annual Scientific Meeting Call for Poster Abstracts

APS invites the submission of abstracts for poster presentations at the 34th Annual Scientific Meeting, May 13–16, 2015, in Palm Springs, CA. The Call for Poster Abstracts is open on the APS website through November 21 and instructions for submissions are now available.

New for 2015! Accepted posters will be on display in the Experience Exchange (exhibit hall) for the entire duration of the exhibit and poster viewing times. APS will not “turn” the posters in Palm Springs, and all posters will be on display during specified times. Poster presenters should plan to set up their posters on Wednesday, May 13, 2–4:15 pm. Posters will remain on display until 10:30 am Friday, May 15.

Ready to Experience Something Different?

Save the date for the APS 34th Annual Scientific Meeting in Palm Springs, CA, May 13–16, 2015.

The 2015 meeting will be full of exciting new features and experiences for attendees:

• poster sessions featuring all posters in one place, at one time
• a new and improved exhibit hall
• exciting and innovative presentations from esteemed pain professionals.

You will not want to miss out! Mark your calendars for May 13–16. Additional information regarding the 2015 meeting will be coming your way this fall.

A Summary from Pain Care for Primary Care

“One of the best, most practical conferences I have ever attended, tremendous speakers.” —Pain Care for Primary Care attendee

In collaboration with the Journal of Family Practice and APS, Pain Care for Primary Care (PCPC), a live educational event dedicated to improving care for patients presenting with pain and pain-related symptoms, was held July 17–19 in Orlando, FL. The conference was intended to help primary care provides improve their understanding of pain and pain management and improve care for their patients with acute and chronic pain. More than 260 attendees joined nationally known faculty in pain care and pain research.

Faculty members were satisfied with the level of participation from the audience. Not a single presentation ended without a line of attendees at the microphone, engaging with and asking questions to the presenters.

The PCPC audience was made up of approximately 80% doctors of medicine (MDs) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) with the remaining 20% consisting primarily of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Nearly 94% of attendees obtained continuing education credit and stated that the course increased their knowledge, competence, and performance. After attending this event, attendees also stated they were interested in creating or revising protocol, policies, or procedures and modify the management or treatment of their patients.

PCPC was also a positive experience for the 12 exhibitors and four educational and commercial supporters. The exhibit area was busy during the posted exhibit times, and the attendees were engaged and interested in finding out what the exhibitors had to offer. In addition to the exhibit program, there was one commercially supported lunch symposium that was nonmedical in nature and discussed the legal and financial aspects of running one’s own practice.

PCPC faculty and attendees hope this activity continues in the future. APS would like to thank the faculty and attendees who attended the first Pain Care for Primary Care conference.

IASP World Congress: Educational Opportunities

Are you attending the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) World Congress in October? Plan to attend a full-day symposium on complex persistent pain condition, on Sunday, October 5, while you’re in Argentina.

Cosponsored by the IASP Orofacial, Genetics, and Sex/Gender special interest group, “Complex Persistent Pain Condition: Common and Unique Pathways of Vulnerability” will be presented a day prior to the opening of the 15th World Congress on Pain.

Moderated by William Maixner, PhD, this symposium will cover the range of factors underlying complete persistent pain conditions (CPPCs). Etiologies and clinical manifestations of CPPCs will be emphasized.

Internationally recognized clinicians, psychophysiologists, geneticists, and epidemiologists will present on genetic and molecular mechanisms and emerging methods, including APS Past President Roger Fillingim, MD.

The World Congress in Pain will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 6–11. Seating is limited to 200 people, so register now.

Members

Member Benefit: The Journal of Pain

The mission of The Journal of Pain (JOP) is to improve the care of patients in pain by providing a forum for clinical researchers, basic scientists, clinicians, and other health professionals to publish original research. JOP publishes original articles related to all aspects of pain, including clinical and basic research, patient care, education, and health policy. The journal also publishes reports of original clinical research or reports of original basic research, invited critical reviews, including meta analyses of drugs for pain management, invited commentaries on reviews, and exceptional case studies.

APS member Mark Jensen, PhD, serves as editor in chief along with support of the JOP editorial board.

JOP’s impact factor continues to rise every year, making it the second ranked pain journal in the world. The impact factor currently stands at 3.240 in the 2012 Journal Citation Reports.

How do I gain access to JOP Online?
The journal is available online and APS members can login by claiming membership access to read full journal articles.

As a member benefit, APS members receive necessary color figures appearing in member-authored articles printed at no cost. In Fall 2013, APS announced that current APS members can also download JOP iPad^® app.

Help APS Better Serve You

In an effort to better understand your professional needs as a member and to make the best and most informed decisions on APS programs, products, and services, APS is in the process of collecting updated information from its members.

You will notice that as you log in to the APS website to register for an event, purchase a product, etc., you will be greeted by a brief message and an easy-to-use form requesting some brief professional information. The form is prepopulated with your existing information, making it easy to keep your data current.

Once you update your information, you will not be prompted to do so again for 6 months. The goal is to keep our members’ professional information as up-to-date as possible so that we have an accurate assessment of APS’s professional makeup and are able to provide the best services, information, and value to all members.

We thank you in advance for your help!

Welcome New Members

APS is pleased to welcome and recognize the following new members for July 2014:

Catherine Allaire
Ruth Anderson
Susanne Becker
Rena Beckerly
Ken Burleson
Jason Busse
Paul Coelho
Kevin Faulkner
Lisa Goforth
Padma Gulur
Michael Ingraham
Karen Alkalay Isler
Kellie Jaremko
Anna Jozefczyk
Jaemi Keith
Julien Mamet
Ariana Nelson
John Pollock
Penny Roberts
Paul Scholten
Robert Vanderbrook
Haibin Wang
Marian Wilson
Yan Xu
Kun Zhang

Summaries

The Journal of Pain Highlights

The following highlights summarize selected articles from The Journal of Pain (Volume 15, Number 8, August 2014 Issue).

Sex Differences in the Neural Representation of Pain Unpleasantness
Lydia Girard-Tremblay, Vincent Auclair, Kathya Daigle, Guillaume Léonard, Kevin Whittingstall, and Philippe Goffauxemail; School of Rehabilitation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Sherbrooke Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; School of Rehabilitation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

Women are more likely to than men to face a variety of recurrent pains, report more severe pain, and feel pain across more body areas. This study shows subjective pain unpleasantness ratings are associated with different pain evoked brain responses in men and women, as revealed through neuroimaging studies.

Few studies have explored sex differences in pain-evoked brain activity. A team of Canadian pain researchers applied a matched pain perception paradigm, in which pain intensity was measured across all participants in the study (11 men and 13 women), but subjective responses of pain unpleasantness was allowed to vary among study subjects. Experimental pain was induced using transcutaneous electrical sural nerve stimulation.

Results showed that the relationship between pain unpleasantness and pain-evoked brain activity differed as a function of biological sex. For women, increased pain unpleasantness was associated with increased activity in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), while increased pain unpleasantness for men was associated with decreased activity in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). This study was designed to test for the presence of sexually dimorphic brain activation patterns and clearly reveals that women, not men, demonstrated a strong positive linear relationship between pgACC activity and subjective pain unpleasantness.

The authors concluded that men and women differ in their neural representation of pain unpleasantness; however, the difference is not in degree but in the activation of different neural systems for emotional pain processing and regulation. These findings may provide a compelling neural explanation for the well documented but poorly explained sex difference in chronic pain development.

Safety and Efficacy of Once-daily Hydromorphone Extended-release versus Twice-daily Oxycodone Hydrochloride Controlled-release in Chicness Patients with Cancer Pain: A Double-blind Multicenter Study
Shiying Yu, Wei Shen, Lu Yu, Yanyan Hou, John Han, Henry M. Richards; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Xi’an Janssen Pharmaceutical Company, Beijing, China

Hydromorphone and oxycodone are alternatives to morphine for treating cancer pain. However, there is a lack of data comparing the two medications for managing chronic cancer pain patients. Researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial to investigate the efficacy of once-daily hydromorphone for pain treatment compared to twice-daily oxycodone for 28 days of treatment for patients with chronic cancer pain. The study enrolled 260 patients.

Results showed that both medications achieved similar improvements in pain severity outcomes with comparable safety profiles. The authors concluded that once-daily hydromorphone could serve as a treatment option with potential for reducing dosing frequency for health care providers and patients.

PAIN Highlights

The following highlights summarize selected articles from PAIN (Volume 155, Number 8, August 2014 Issue).

Shared Genetic Factors Underlie Chronic Pain Syndromes
Jelle Vehof, Helena M. S. Zavos, Genevieve Lachance, Christopher J. Hammond, Frances M. K. Williams; Departments of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Ophthalmology, and Rheumatology, King’s College London, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK; Department of Ophthalmology and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

Chronic pain is common among adults, with pain prevalence ranging between 10% and 50% depending on the population studied and definition used. It has significant impact on patients’ functioning and quality of life. Chronic pain syndromes (CPS) are a poorly defined constellation of syndromes with ongoing pain that overlaps in presenting symptomatology with fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, headache, and functional bowel disturbance. Chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain (CWP); chronic pelvic pain (PP); irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); and, to a lesser extent, migraine (MIG) are considered CPS that lack gross tissue-level abnormalities. Dry-eye disease (DED) is also associated with CWP, IBS, PP, and MIG and with increased sensitivity to heat pain on objective pain testing. These findings are suggestive of a family of related disorders that has been termed affective spectrum disorder.

The aims of this study were to estimate the relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on CWP, PP, MIG, IBS, and DED and to investigate the extent to which correlation between the CPS can be explained by genetic and environmental factors. Subjects for this study were twins recruited from the TwinsUK Adult Twin Registry at King’s College London. The study examined the role of genetic and environmental factors in explaining the associations between different CPS. CPS all have a heritable component, and shared genetic factors suggest a common pathway underlying CPS. MIG demonstrated negligible phenotypic overlap with the other CPS, however.

Results of this study suggest that covariation between the CPS arises from a phenotypic relationship with an underlying latent factor. The estimated heritability of this latent factor was found to be high at 66%. These findings in conditions that are often overlooked and not considered a priority for research funding may justify the search for common genetic variants. Their identification will shed light on pathogenic pathways leading to chronic pain and provide targets for much-needed new therapies.

Quantitative Sensory Testing and Pain Tolerance in Patients with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer Disease Compared to Healthy Control Subjects
Christina Jensen-Dahm, Mads U. Werner, Jørgen B. Dahl, Troels Staehelin Jensen, Martin Ballegaard, Anne-Mette Hejl, Gunhild Waldemar; Danish Dementia Research Centre, Departments of Neurology, Anaesthesia, and Clinical Neurophysiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark; Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Neuroscience Center, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark; Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark

Patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) report pain less frequently than their cognitively intact peers. It has been hypothesized that pain processing is altered in AD. The aim of this study was to investigate agreement and reliability of three pain sensitivity tests and to examine pain threshold and tolerance in patients with AD. Investigators examined 29 patients with mild to moderate AD and 29 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects with quantitative sensory testing.

Patients with mild to moderate AD could reliably cooperate with standardized thermal and mechanical pain sensitivity tests. Three replicated quantitative sensory assessments demonstrated good data reproducibility. Although both mechanical and thermal pain thresholds did not differ between the groups, mechanical pain tolerances as assessed by pressure algometry were significantly lower in the AD group. These findings also were robust when correcting for differences in reaction time, which may be an important confounder. There was no difference between the two groups in pain thresholds on any of the three tests. Patients with AD may have lower pain tolerance because of cognitive problems and difficulty handling stressful events such as a painful stimulus, which may lead to an increased level of anxiety.

These results suggest that the reduced verbal report of pain in AD cannot be explained by impaired processing of thermal and mechanical pain stimuli. Alternative explanations may include impaired communication, memory problems, or anosognosia associated with AD.

Pain Medicine Highlights

The following highlights summarize selected articles from Pain Medicine (Volume 15, Number 7, July 2014 Issue).

Incidence of Chronic Postsurgical Pain (CPSP) After General Surgery
Christian J. P. Simanski, Astrid Althaus, Sascha Hoederath, Kerry W. Kreutz, Petra Hoederath, Rolf Lefering, Carolina Pape-Köhler, and Edmund A. M. Neugebauer; Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center, University of Witten/Herdecke; Institute for Research in Operative Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Cologne, Germany; Clinic of Surgery and Orthopaedics, Kantonales Spital Grabs, Grabs; Clinic of Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland; Biometrics and Statistics, Institute for Research in Operative Medicine; Department of Abdominal, Vascular, and Transplant Surgery, Cologne Merheim Medical Center, University of Witten/Herdecke, Cologne, Germany

Severe postoperative pain is considered a predictor of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP), which appears to involve a multifactorial process that is influenced by physical, psychological, genetic, and social factors. Numerous studies have investigated the process by which acute pain becomes chronic pain after various interventions. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of CPSP in a general surgical patient population of an academic university-affiliated hospital and to analyze data for specific contributing factors. Patients were differentiated according to whether a nonexistent, possible, or definite connection between their surgical intervention and current pain symptoms was present.

Despite existing standard pain therapy algorithms (systemic multimodal pain therapy), one of three patients experienced pain requiring intervention more than 1 year after clinical discharge. Among patients, 14.8% reported pain directly related to surgery, implying a causal relationship after more than 2 years. Patients reported joint pain (49.4%), incisional pain (37.7%), and nerve pain (33.7%) more than 1 year after surgery.

In addition to major orthopedic interventions, minor surgical procedures such as laparoscopies, arthroscopies, and hardware extractions can cause CPSP. Social factors may play a role as well. All patients described as “laborer” and “unemployed” demonstrated intervention-requiring pain intensity more than 1 year after surgery.

Significance of Physical Performance Tests for Patients with Low Back Pain
Michael Pfingsten, Susanne Lueder, Kerstin Luedtke, Frank Petzke, and Jan Hildebrandt; Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology, University Clinic, Georg-August University Goettingen, Goettingen; Back Pain Center “Am Michel,” Hamburg, Germany

Low back pain (LBP) is a challenge for healthcare systems and society overall in many European countries. Patients with back pain are a heterogeneous group and differ in several dimensions such as pain experience, severity of disease, impairment factors, emotional disturbance, and functional limitations. The prognosis for single episodes of acute pain is good, but a considerable number of patients develop persistent or recurrent illness often characterized by a complex pattern and interaction of somatic, psychological, and social factors. Former and current assessment procedures for back pain do not indicate that physical factors are relevant for the measurement of limitations in functional abilities.

To further evaluate the clinical usefulness of physical performance tests, investigators carried out an analysis to assess the concurrent validity and responsiveness of physical performance tests in relationship to physical capacities (cardiovascular fitness, endurance and strength of the back muscles, and lifting capacity), pain description, self-report disability, and crucial psychological variables. Eight physical performance tests of everyday activities such as climbing stairs, picking up objects from the floor, bending forward, and sitting up from supine position were evaluated in 106 patients with LBP and 106 control subjects.

Physical performance was highly influenced by patients’ perceived general disability, and strategies aimed to alter self-efficacy beliefs had a strong impact on patients’ functional performance. Further assessment of physical performance in clinical studies may contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationship between physical, functional, and psychological factors in LBP.

Research

2015 Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Grants Program Call for Letters of Intent Opens September 8

The call for Letters of Intent (LOIs) for the 2015 Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Grants Program opens September 8. This year APS will again award up to four grants in the amount of $35,000 each to pain research proposals demonstrating the greatest merit and potential for success. Interested applicants should submit a required 1-page LOI briefly describing the objective, aims, methods, and relevance of their proposed research. LOIs will undergo review to determine their responsiveness to this request. Only those whose LOIs are approved will be invited to submit a full application.

The Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Grants Program was established in 2013 to fund research projects that have a high likelihood of leading to new treatments or to increased access to or expansion of treatment options for people with chronic pain.

Letters of Intent may be submitted September 8 through 11:59 pm ET on September 30.

For more information on deadlines, eligibility, topics, and more, please visit the Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Grants Program on the APS website.

APS Continues to Establish a Presence at PAINWeek

For the third year in a row, several APS members will attend PAINWeek and share their expertise. Held in Las Vegas each September and attended by approximately 2,000 attendees, PAINWeek is the largest U.S. pain conference for the primary care clinician.

APS will host an exhibit to inform this audience of our work and foundational principles of science-grounded, evidence-based, interdisciplinary pain care. Those staffing the exhibit will distribute information about APS, issues of The Journal of Pain, annual scientific meeting announcements, clinical practice guideline references, and membership information.

Under the direction of APS Immediate Past President Roger B. Fillingim, PhD, another APS track will be held this year on Friday, September 5. This track was attended by more than 400 PAINWeek attendees last year. The 2014 track is titled “Pain in Women” and includes the following sessions and speakers:

• "Pain in Women: Clinical Evidence and Biopsychosocial Mechanisms," by Roger Fillingim, PhD
• "Vulvodynia: Clinical Profiles and Their Implications for Treatment," by Georgine Lamvu, MD MPH
• "Chronic Pelvic Pain: Biopsychosocial Factors," by Beth Darnall, PhD
• "Chronic Pain After Breast Cancer Treatment," by Robert Edwards, PhD

Charles Argoff, MD, and Brett B. Snodgrass, MSN APRN FNP-C, will take learners through the Opioid Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) course on Thursday, September 4, from 1:30–4:40 pm. This course, "REMS for ER/LA Opioids: Achieving Safe Use While Improving Patient Care," is a 3-hour session aimed at completing the entire Food and Drug Administration Opioid REMS blueprint and will target PAINWeek attendees and Las Vegas–area primary care prescribers.

APS and ASPMN Publish Consensus Statement on PRN Range Orders for Opioid Analgesics in the Management of Pain

In the June issue of Pain Management Nursing, the American Society of Pain Management Nurses and APS published a consensus statement regarding the use of as-needed (PRN) range orders for opioids, which enables necessary and safe adjustments in doses based on individual responses to treatment. The position statement affirms that effective pain management requires careful individual titration of analgesics. The statement further provides recommendations for writing PRN range orders and a review of evidence supporting the need for such individualized dosing.

Society

September is National Pain Awareness Month

September has been declared Pain Awareness Month. During this month, APS will work to raise public awareness of issues in the area of pain and pain management. Stay tuned for updates on our social media outlets as we participate in recognizing those in APS devoted to relieving pain.

Important Dates

2015 APS Annual Scientific Meeting Call for Posters Open
Friday, August 15

2015 Call for Letters of Intent for Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Grants Program Opens
Monday, September 8

Clinical Centers of Excellence Nominations Open
Monday, September 2

Call for Submissions

Do you have a topic that is relevant to APS members? Is there a member who is doing work that APS should spotlight? Is there a funding opportunity APS members need to know about? Please submit stories, events, and more to enews@americanpainsociety.org for consideration.