Abstract
Pain is the most common symptom leading patients to consult a physician in the United States, and its
negative effects on quality of life can be substantial. Chronic pain is associated with both direct (e.g., health
care) and indirect costs (e.g., lost wages, disability days) that have been estimated to range from $560-635
billion annually. Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiologic
mechanisms of pain, the most widely prescribed medications for acute and chronic pain — non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioid analgesics — have major drawbacks, including modest
efficacy and significant risks that can limit long-term use. Consequently, there is a compelling public health
need for the development of pain treatments with improved efficacy and safety. Millions of Americans also
suffer from addiction or receive anesthesia for surgical procedures, and although there are efficacious
treatments available in each of these additional therapeutic areas, many existing interventions have only
modest efficacy or have incompletely characterized safety risks. The primary objective of the Analgesic,
Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTTION)
public-private partnership is to identify, prioritize, sponsor, coordinate, and promote innovative activities that
will expedite the discovery and development of improved analgesic, anesthetic, and addiction treatments for
the benefit of the public health. The major activities of the ACTTION partnership include conducting
systematic reviews, consensus meetings, and methodologically-focused research studies as well as
developing and qualifying novel clinical outcome assessments and biomarkers, with the aim of increasing
the assay sensitivity and informativeness of clinical trials. The knowledge gained from these efforts will
accelerate the development of novel medications and other treatments for pain, anesthesia, and addiction
that are more effective and safer than existing treatments.
