The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives.
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) aims to support the preclinical optimization and development of safe, effective, and non-addictive small molecule and biologic therapeutics to treat pain. The overarching goal is to accelerate the optimization and development of promising small molecule and biologic hits/leads towards clinical trials. The program focuses on optimizing and developing potential treatments, conducting IND-enabling studies, and preparing for Investigational New Drug (IND) application submissions. It is a phased cooperative agreement that requires the participation of NIH program staff in planning and progress monitoring. Applicants are expected to have a promising hit/lead, a robust biological rationale for their approach, and identified assays for agent optimization.