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Pain Research

Advancing pain research with smarter clinical trials

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He didn’t just need a CRO. He needed
an ally. That’s when we stepped up.
Let’s talk

The Pain Perception Puzzle:
Measuring What Matters in Pain Trials

Acute and chronic pain conditions affect millions, making pain research a critical area for innovation. At Rho, we approach pain clinical trials with a deep understanding of the complexities of pain assessment, treatment efficacy, and regulatory expectations. Our team works closely with sponsors to design studies that lead to meaningful outcomes, ensuring that new treatments are both effective and accessible to patients who need them most.

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Why Rho?

Why Rho?

Extensive pain research expertise
Experience across post-operative pain, chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and rare pain disorders.
Innovative trial design
Tailoring protocols to incorporate novel endpoints, patient-reported outcomes, and real-world evidence.
Regulatory leadership
Guiding studies through the evolving landscape of pain treatment approvals and controlled substance regulations.
Patient-focused strategies
Prioritizing recruitment, engagement, and retention for studies requiring long-term participation.
Pain - SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight: Advancing Complex Pain Studies with Expertise and Agility

Rho’s deep expertise in pain research shines through in both chronic and acute studies. In a recent chronic pain study, our team enrolled more than 200 subjects with diabetic peripheral neuropathy across 31 U.S. sites. We overcame challenges like site inexperience with electronic diaries and complex inclusion/exclusion criteria by delivering tailored training, close monitoring, and proactive issue resolution. This attention to detail helped ensure high-quality data in a difficult-to-enroll population.

In an acute pain trial supporting an NDA, we activated 44 U.S. sites and randomized nearly 500 subjects undergoing bunionectomy surgery. Our proactive site engagement, real-time support, and focus on operational efficiency enabled us to complete enrollment within six months—well ahead of sponsor expectations.

Whether the challenge is chronic neuropathic pain or post-surgical pain, our collaborative, solutions-oriented approach consistently drives results.

Rho’s deep expertise in pain research shines through in both chronic and acute studies. In a recent chronic pain study, our team enrolled more than 200 subjects with diabetic peripheral neuropathy across 31 U.S. sites. We overcame challenges like site inexperience with electronic diaries and complex inclusion/exclusion criteria by delivering tailored training, close monitoring, and proactive issue resolution. This attention to detail helped ensure high-quality data in a difficult-to-enroll population.

In an acute pain trial supporting an NDA, we activated 44 U.S. sites and randomized nearly 500 subjects undergoing bunionectomy surgery. Our proactive site engagement, real-time support, and focus on operational efficiency enabled us to complete enrollment within six months—well ahead of sponsor expectations.

Whether the challenge is chronic neuropathic pain or post-surgical pain, our collaborative, solutions-oriented approach consistently drives results.

Pain - SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight: Advancing Complex Pain Studies with Expertise and Agility

Rho’s deep expertise in pain research shines through in both chronic and acute studies. In a recent chronic pain study, our team enrolled more than 200 subjects with diabetic peripheral neuropathy across 31 U.S. sites. We overcame challenges like site inexperience with electronic diaries and complex inclusion/exclusion criteria by delivering tailored training, close monitoring, and proactive issue resolution. This attention to detail helped ensure high-quality data in a difficult-to-enroll population.

In an acute pain trial supporting an NDA, we activated 44 U.S. sites and randomized nearly 500 subjects undergoing bunionectomy surgery. Our proactive site engagement, real-time support, and focus on operational efficiency enabled us to complete enrollment within six months—well ahead of sponsor expectations.

Whether the challenge is chronic neuropathic pain or post-surgical pain, our collaborative, solutions-oriented approach consistently drives results.

Rho’s deep expertise in pain research shines through in both chronic and acute studies. In a recent chronic pain study, our team enrolled more than 200 subjects with diabetic peripheral neuropathy across 31 U.S. sites. We overcame challenges like site inexperience with electronic diaries and complex inclusion/exclusion criteria by delivering tailored training, close monitoring, and proactive issue resolution. This attention to detail helped ensure high-quality data in a difficult-to-enroll population.

In an acute pain trial supporting an NDA, we activated 44 U.S. sites and randomized nearly 500 subjects undergoing bunionectomy surgery. Our proactive site engagement, real-time support, and focus on operational efficiency enabled us to complete enrollment within six months—well ahead of sponsor expectations.

Whether the challenge is chronic neuropathic pain or post-surgical pain, our collaborative, solutions-oriented approach consistently drives results.

Pain FAQ

What pain management conditions does Rho specialize in?

Rho supports trials for post-operative, acute, chronic, and neuropathic pain, including models in dental pain, bunionectomy, and abdominoplasty.

Pain trials often involve subjective endpoints, placebo effects, and regulatory scrutiny around analgesics. Rho’s experience ensures trial designs are rigorous, endpoints are validated, and data is compelling for regulatory submission.

Rho employs innovative methodologies, such as enriched enrollment designs and tailored patient-reported outcomes, to minimize placebo effects and enhance data quality in pain studies.

Rho has significant experience in non-opioid pain trials, supporting the development of safer and effective alternatives. Our integrated teams ensure efficient trial execution and clear regulatory pathways.

Pain - FAQ

Comprehensive support for pain
clinical trials

We provide full-service support across all phases of pain research:

Chronic pain studies
Addressing conditions such as fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and lower back pain.
Neuropathic pain research
Expertise in diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
Post-operative and acute pain trials
Designing studies that optimize pain assessment and treatment evaluation.
Patient-centered methodologies
Leveraging real-world evidence and patient-reported and rater training outcomes for better insights.
Regulatory strategy and controlled substance guidance
Supporting compliance with DEA and FDA requirements for pain therapeutics.
Site relationships
Deep relationships with chronic and acute pain sites and site networks, including those running models such as dental pain, bunionectomy, abdominoplasty, and other post-operative pain models

Meet the
team
who make
it happen

Jamie Chang

Principal Medical Director

Mark Manoly

Associate Vice President, Project Delivery

Becky Baggett

Vice President, Project Delivery

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Ready to move pain research forward?
Better pain treatments start with better trials. Let’s build a study designed for real impact.

Let’s talk
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© 2025 Rho, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Jamie Chang-min

Jamie Chang, MD

As a board-certified internist with 15+ years of clinical experience, Dr. Chang blends on-the-ground medical insight and scientific rigor to build smarter, more targeted development programs. His background is in pulmonary disease, where he has diagnosed and treated everything from asthma to cystic fibrosis to emphysema. The frontline experience means he knows a thing or two about what clinical trials (and patients) need and has given him an understanding of both the science and the human side. Dr. Chang is the kind of partner who keeps things clear, focused, and sound—just as good clinical research should be.     

Mark Manoly

With more than 25 years of program management experience and a global track record of success, Mr. Manoly is who you call when the stakes are high and failure is not an option. Over the course of his career, he has led numerous studies across pain indications, including osteoarthritis, pediatric pain, chronic migraine, and more. How does he lead in the complexity of clinical trial work? With steadiness, strategy, and a refreshingly human approach. Mr. Manoly knows how to empower teams, keep clients engaged, and manage the balance between structure and flexibility.

Becky_Baggett-min

Becky Baggett

With two decades in clinical research, Ms. Bagget knows chronic and acute pain studies and how to make them work for sponsors and trial teams alike. Whether she is providing executive oversight or navigating regulatory requirements, she knows all the trial roadblocks and can help clients route their way around them. Ms. Bagget has a Regulatory Affairs Certification and experience in data management, so she can bridge strategy and execution seamlessly—she has the rare combination of quality control and compassion that makes her one-of-a-kind. In short, she’s your go-to when pain studies get complicated.