A possible alternative to Opiorphin and its stable analogues for treating fibromyalgia pain: A clinical hypothesis

The work aimed to explore the clinical hypothesis on the possible alternative to Opiorphin and its stable analogues for treating fibromyalgia pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic pain triggered by an interplay of biological and psychosocial variables, although the exact pathogenesis is still controversial. Standard therapy for low threshold tender point pain includes NSAIDs and opioid analgesics, both of which have serious adverse profiles after long-term exposure, highlighting the need for an intermediate compound capable of bridging the gap between NSAIDs and opioid analgesics. Opiorphin is an anti-nociceptive modulator which inhibits the enzyme responsible for the degradation of natural endogenous opioid neuropeptides. This paper hypothesizes and concludes that Opiorphin and its stable analogues (Sialorphine, STR-324) can be an alternative for the treatment of chronic long-standing low-threshold tender point pain associated with fibromyalgia. (NCI-2022-7-13)