From Lab to Clinic: Dr. Norman Taylor's Fibromyalgia Research Points Toward New Treatment Possibilities
For the millions of people living with fibromyalgia, effective treatment has long been elusive. The condition — characterized by widespread chronic pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties — is notoriously difficult to study, in part because researchers have lacked a reliable animal model that accurately mirrors how it behaves in humans. A new study co-authored by Dr. Norman Taylor, MD, PhD, takes a significant step toward changing that.
Published in the May 2026 issue of PAIN (Vol. 167, No. 5), the article — "Fibromyalgia Analog Model Index Analysis Demonstrates the Predictive Validity of the Dahl S Rat as a Model of Fibromyalgia" — is the final paper in a series establishing the Dahl S rat as a credible and validated model for fibromyalgia research.
The findings are compelling in both directions: drugs that effectively treat fibromyalgia in patients work equally well in the rat model, while treatments known to be ineffective in people are equally ineffective in the model. That bidirectional predictive validity gives researchers a much stronger foundation for testing new therapies before they reach clinical trials.
And there are promising new therapies to test. The study found that both metformin — a widely used and well-tolerated diabetes medication — and green light exposure effectively reduced fibromyalgia symptoms in the model. Both are now being investigated in humans. A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial examining metformin as a fibromyalgia treatment is currently underway and expected to wrap up within the next year, with green light therapy also moving into clinical trials.
Interested in Participating? The INFORM Study is Now Recruiting.
The INFORM study — the double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating metformin as a fibromyalgia treatment — is currently ongoing and actively recruiting participants. If you or someone you know is living with fibromyalgia and interested in learning more about this study, we encourage you to click below to find out if you may be eligible.
Huge congratulations to Dr. Taylor and all contributing authors on this work and look forward to seeing where the next phase of research leads!