While a wide range of drugs, from NSAIDs to opioids, have been developed to treat nociceptive pain, sufferers of neuropathic pain have had to rely on drugs that were developed to treat other conditions such as depression and epilepsy. Although the developers of these blockbuster drugs have extended their life spans with patents on improved re-formulations, some of the most interesting therapies in development for the treatment of neuropathic pain are derived from novel sources such as venomous marine snails and the extract of red chilli peppers. As Bayer has found, the small biotechs that discover these drugs are ideal partners for the big pharma companies who can recognise their potential.