Sodium channel blockers for the treatment of neuropathic pain

Drugs that block voltage-gated sodium channels are efficacious in the management of neuropathic pain. Accordingly, this class of ion channels has been a major focus of analgesic research both in academia and in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry. In this article, we review the history of the use of sodium channel blockers, describe the current status of sodium channel drug discovery, highlight the challenges and hurdles to attain sodium channel subtype selectivity, and review the potential usefulness of selective sodium channel blockers in neuropathic pain.