I didn't check through the archives to see if this info was posted earlier but if so I apologize for the unnecessary clutter and redundancy. I ran across this article from late 2006 for ongoing work on a completely new and previously unrecognized mechanism for neuropathic pain. Vc1.1, also known as ACV1, was found by University of Melbourne scientist Prof Bruce Livett and is being developed by an Australian company, Metabolic, and is undergoing trials in human patients.

The compound is found in the venom of cone snails such as Conus regius, which measures up to three inches in length and lives from Georgia southward along Central America to Brazil’s central coast; and the similarly sized Conus victoriae, which lives off Australia. Cone snails are among the deadliest species on earth, their venoms are typically at least 1000x deadlier than a cobra.

I realize that this doesn't help anyone's current struggles with PN including my own, but I think the research is really interesting and perhaps will lead to future drug(s)specifically targeted for PN and other types of neuropathic pain.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected.../ecsnail15.xml

Alkymst