Brain dopaminergic circuits are implicated in the transition to chronic pain both in human brain imaging and rodent model studies

Preventing transition to chronic pain would be an ideal strategy to reduce the burden of chronic pain

The study tested whether the transition to chronic back pain can be blocked using a novel combination therapy (LDP + NPX) as compared to control (placebo + NPX), whether the response is sex-dependent, and if brain imaging can provide confirmatory evidence

There was no difference in the prevention of transition to chronic pain in subjects treated with LDP + NPX, compared to placebo + NPX (primary endpoint)

In prespecified subgroup analysis, there was a marked and sustained pain reduction in female participants treated with LDP + NPX in comparison to placebo + NPX, and brain imaging results were confirmatory

These results suggest that chronic back pain may be prevented using sex-specific pharmacotherapy, and a larger and better controlled trial is warranted