Shayanne Gal/Business Insider With the opioid crisis in full force and doctors feeling pressure to cut back on the number of opioid painkillers they prescribe, chronic-pain patients aren't left with many alternatives that are as effective or accessible. So the pharmaceutical industry is looking to bring more non-opioid pain medications into market, with 17 drugs in late-stage clinical development and 40 drugs in early-stage development. One of the new types of drugs is used to block the nerve-growth factor, which can reduce pain in patients with osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, and cancer pain.