CenExel Pain Task Force Innovates Research Approach for Next Generation, Non-Opioid Pain Therapies

DRAPER, Utah, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pain research presents unique challenges unlike those seen in most therapeutic areas. CenExel Clinical Research has responded to this with the formation of its Pain Task Force, a strategic collaboration of pain researchers, investigators, and operational leaders from across the company's nationwide network.

Pain is a multifaceted condition characterized by complex biological mechanisms, significant variability between patients, and some of the highest placebo response rates in clinical research. This initiative allows for conducting high-quality clinical trials for investigational pain therapies while maintaining enrollment speed and data integrity.

"Pain studies are among the most challenging trials to execute successfully," said Dr. Todd Bertoch, Chief Medical Director of the Pain Task Force at CenExel, and Principal Investigator at CenExel Salt Lake City. "Small differences in patient selection, site training, endpoint assessment, or protocol execution can have a meaningful impact on study outcomes. Experience matters tremendously in this field."

An additional challenge for sponsors is enrollment demands frequently require studies to expand across numerous research centers, which can introduce variability that ultimately affects data quality and study performance. The Pain Task Force answers this by standardizing the company's best practices, execution and training methodologies across its sites.

"We want sponsors to benefit from single-site data quality while achieving multi-site enrollment capabilities. By coordinating expertise across our network, we're able to reduce variability, strengthen study execution, and help generate the reliable data that sponsors need to advance promising pain therapies," said Dr. Bertoch.

CenExel's pain research capabilities are built upon decades of experience conducting studies across acute, chronic, neuropathic, and post-surgical pain indications. The company has extensive expertise utilizing validated pain models and has supported the development of numerous investigational therapies spanning a wide range of mechanisms of action.

"Bringing innovative pain therapies to patients requires far more than enrollment capacity alone," said Dr. Josh Rothstein, Principal Investigator for CenExel Atlanta. "It requires experienced investigators, rigorous study execution, and a commitment to generating reliable, high-quality clinical data. Through the Pain Task Force, we're able to share expertise, standardize best practices across our network, and reduce unnecessary variability, which advances the development of meaningful new treatment options for patients."

About CenExel

CenExel is a leading, wholly owned clinical research site network dedicated to supporting the life sciences industry in discovering and developing life-changing therapies.

CenExel provides unparalleled research support in the design and execution of complex clinical trials, leveraging scientific expertise, world-class Principal Investigators, advanced patient engagement strategies, premium data, and integrated operational excellence.

Located across multiple major metro areas, CenExel's Centers of Excellence sites have conducted thousands of studies with precision, accuracy, and speed. The company's unwavering commitment to quality, the patient experience, and client success ensures successful clinical development outcomes.

CenExel's expertise and execution capabilities help pharmaceutical and biotech companies gain deeper insights into diseases, accelerating clinical development to deliver innovative treatments and improve global patient outcomes. To learn more visit www.cenexelresearch.com

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SOURCE CenExel Clinical Research