Summary
Yohimbine has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Low Back Pain would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Low Back Pain. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Yohimbine specifically in Low Back Pain. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 2 clinical trial publications. The dated items are from 2008. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Low Back Pain ranks 331 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: ~90% of acute LBP episodes resolve within 6 weeks regardless of treatment; chronic LBP (>3 months) shows only 30-40% recovery at 1 year and high recurrence; opioid prescribing correlates inversely with recovery.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 24.0 (trials 0.0, literature 4.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (2 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | inhibitor |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ADRA2C |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Yohimbine to Low Back Pain in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Baroreflex sensitivity associated hypoalgesia in healthy states is altered by chronic painChung OY, Bruehl S, Diedrich L et al. · Pain · 2008 · PMID 18164819
- Clinical trial publication The relationship between resting blood pressure and acute pain sensitivity: effects of chronic pain and alpha-2 adrenergic blockadeBruehl S, Chung OY, Diedrich L et al. · Journal of behavioral medicine · 2008 · PMID 17940860
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: inhibitor.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRA2C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Yohimbine approved for Low Back Pain?
Yohimbine has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Low Back Pain would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Low Back Pain. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Yohimbine in clinical trials for Low Back Pain?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Yohimbine specifically in Low Back Pain. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Yohimbine in Low Back Pain?
The record for Yohimbine in Low Back Pain rests on 2 publications without a registered trial. This is a lead for hypothesis generation, not evidence of efficacy. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRA2C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.