Mirogabalin, a novel ligand for the alpha2delta subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels, has been approved for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain including painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPNP) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in Japan. Mirogabalin showed potent and selective binding affinities for the alpha2delta subunits, and slower dissociation rates for the alpha2delta-1 subunit than for the alpha2delta-2 subunit. It also showed potent and long-lasting analgesic effects in rat models of neuropathic pain, and wider safety margins for the central nervous system side effects. A pharmacological study using mutant mice demonstrated that the analgesic effects of mirogabalin were mediated by binding of the drug to the alpha2delta-1 subunit, not the alpha2delta-2 subunit.