Compounds useful for the treatment and prevention of pain and screening methods therefor

A compound having the chemical formula:

• wherein:
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, unsubstituted or substituted phenyl, unsubstituted or substituted naphthyl, unsubstituted or substituted phenylalkyl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroalicyclyl, cyano, unsubstituted or substituted acyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkoxycarbonyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkylaminocarbonyl, unsubstituted or substituted phenylaminocarbonyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkylthio, unsubstituted or substituted alkylsulfonyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkylsulfinyl, unsubstituted or substituted phenylthio, unsubstituted or substituted phenylsulfinyl, unsubstituted or substituted phenylsulfonyl and unsubstituted and substituted or unsubstited cycloalkyl;
• R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, protected hydroxy, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkynyl, unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkenyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroalicyclyl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroarylalkyl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroalicyclylalkyl, halogenated ether, nitro, amino, halogen, perhaloalkyl, —NX1aX1b, —CN, —C(=Z)X1a, —C(=Z)OX1a, —C(=Z)NX1aX1b, —N(X1a)—C(=Z)X1b, —N(X1a)—C(=Z)NX1bX1c, —OC(=Z)X1a, —S(═O)X1a, —S(═O)2X1a, and —SX1a, and,
• R10 is selected from the group consisting or oxygen, —NH or —NX1d wherein:
• Z is oxygen or sulfur;
• and,
• X1a, X1b, X1c and X1d are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroalicyclyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkynyl, unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl and unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkenyl.