Pain

1 in 3 people in the United States are impacted by unrelieved pain.

350+

pain studies

16

sites with pain expertise

Pain management is a leading public health challenge; the current opioid epidemic underscores the critical need for new approaches to both chronic and acute pain. ERG stands ready, delivering the expertise, facilities, and access to patient populations needed to accelerate drug development in this area.

Demonstrated Expertise in Key Indications

  • Chronic Back and Neck Pain
  • Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
  • Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Neuropathic Pain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)

Demonstrated Expertise in Post-Operative Pain Management Following Key Surgical Procedures

  • Abdominoplasty
  • Bariatric Surgery
  • Bunionectomy
  • Cesarean Section
  • Herniorrhaphy (Pediatric and Adult)
  • Hysterectomy
  • Third Molar Extraction
  • Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA)
  • Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA)

Industry Experts in Pain Management

ERG sites are led by recognized industry leaders, experts in chronic and acute pain who currently or formerly serve on the advisory boards of major pharmaceutical companies and industry groups, such as the American Pain Society, and who have delivered hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and conference presentations. In the conduct of postoperative pain studies, our staff are extensively trained in administering study-specific analgesic scales, applying universal ERG-specific analgesic methodology, controlling environmental expectations, and managing and analyzing variability in clinical operations. They are also ACLS/PALS/BLS/CITI certified. Add our careful selection and training of surgeons and anesthesiologists for specific operatory techniques, and our long-standing operative and research teams. The result: Trial consistency across multiple sites with a marked reduction of the placebo effect.

ERG’s Experienced Pain Team

Sarah D. Atkinson, MD
Jim Aukstuolis, MD
Robert Billingsley, Jr., MD
Wendy Bond, MD
Mark Brody, MD
Gerald Cephas, MD
Otto Dueno, MD
Arthur Flippin, MD
Steven Folkerth, MD
Daniel Gruener, MD
George Konis, MD
Daniel Lawler, MD
Thomas Reilly, MD
Denise Roberts, RN, CCRC
Hernan Salazar, MD
Stephen Thein, PhD

Affiliate Pain Team

Evgeny Fink, MD
Paul Miller, MD
Joel Vandersluis, MD
Nick Vatakis, MD

Specialized Resources for Acute and Post-Operative Pain Studies

Our custom-built research facility has onsite surgical suites to support clinical research studies in acute and postoperative pain, as well as in chronic conditions such as migraine. With private patient rooms for both short- and long-term stays, four study-specific nurses’ stations, 24-hour medical coverage, and meal service that can accommodate strict dietary restrictions, we give patients critical support at every juncture. Our CLIA-waived lab and pharmacy have designated double-locked narcotics storage, temperature control, real-time security video surveillance, and remote out-of-range notification.


Specialized Equipment

All ERG equipment is calibrated annually, or more often if required.

  • Large back-up generator
  • Crash carts/emergency resuscitation equipment
  • Electrocardiograms with QTcF and QTcB capability
  • Capnograms
  • Infusion pumps
  • -20C freezers
  • -70C freezers
  • C-Arm
  • Digital X-ray
  • Analox GM9 glucose analyzers
  • Heated hand boxes
  • Atomic clocks

ERG expertise spans a wide range of chronic and acute pain clinical research

Pain infographic

Spotlight

Doctor icon

Denise Roberts, RN

  • Executive Director, Clinical Operations and Site Development
  • Operational oversight of 225+ Phase I, early- and late-phase trials, including postoperative pain trials
  • Developed training program “Mitigation of Placebo Response in Analgesic Trials”
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Doctor icon

Daniel Gruener, MD

  • Conducted 400 early- and late-phase clinical trials
  • Board Certified, American Academy of Pain Management, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Industry-leading researcher in psychiatry, pain, addiction, diabetes and HAL
  • Authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and scientific abstracts
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