Emerging Drugs for the Treatment of Cancer Pain: A Review of Patent Literature in 2014

Background: Pain in oncology patients may be related to underlying disease process, as well as a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation. More than half of all patients with a diagnosis of cancer experience pain, which is often poorly controlled. As such, the treatment of pain in oncology patients demonstrates a significant need to develop new treatment options. Objective: This review summarizes 35 patents on the treatment of pain among cancer patients. Method: A thorough literature review of all patents filed in 2014 was conducted using PubMed and http://ep.espacenet.com/ as sources identify new treatment options for cancer pain. Results: Our literature search returned 35 patents filed in 2014 related to the treatment of pain in cancer patients. Conclusion: In 2014, a number of patents were filed for the treatment of pain among oncology patients. The great variety of chemical compounds presented indicates that there is a great variety in current research for cancer-related pain. The development of novel treatment options will hopefully lead to more effective therapies in the treatment of cancer-related pain.