Fentanyl News and Research

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Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opiate analgesic similar to but more potent than morphine. It is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, or to manage pain after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat people with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to opiates. It is a schedule II prescription drug.

Study: High-dose prescribing increases by 23% in Canada

High-dose opioid prescribing increased by 23 per cent in Canada between 2006 and 2011, despite clinical guidelines recommending that most patients should avoid high-doses of these drugs, according to new research.

15 Sep 2014

New therapeutic drug may prevent respiratory depression in patients taking opioid medication

People taking prescription opioids to treat moderate to severe pain may be able to breathe a little easier, literally.

20 Aug 2014

Acetyl fentanyl is more potent and dangerous than heroin

Emergency physicians should expect "an upswing in what on the surface appear to be heroin overdoses," but are actually overdoses tied to acetyl fentanyl, an opiate that is mixed into street drugs marketed as heroin.

19 Aug 2014

State highlights: Calif. hospital bid draws scrutiny; hospital house calls

Prime Healthcare Services Inc., a hospital chain that has come under fire for billing and patient privacy issues, is facing opposition over its potential acquisition of six California hospitals, including two medical centers in Los Angeles County. On Friday, hospital workers, union representatives and elected officials protested against Prime outside St. Vincent Medical Center near downtown Los Angeles, one of the six hospitals put up for sale this year by the Daughters of Charity Health System (Garland, 8/15).

19 Aug 2014

State highlights: Caring for Texans injured on-the-job; heroin deaths in Md.; pertussis in Calif.

In formerly depressed South Texas, gas flares from the fracking boom can be seen from outer space. While Texas has a Division of Workers' Compensation, it is the only state that doesn't require any private employer to carry workers' compensation insurance or a private equivalent, so more than 500,000 people have no occupational benefits when they get injured at work. That means they often rely on charities or taxpayers to pay for their care (Root, 6/29)

1 Jul 2014

Trevena's Phase 1b data for TRV130 published in the journal Pain

Trevena, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company and the leader in the discovery of G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) biased ligands, today announced the publication of its Phase 1b data for TRV130 in the journal Pain.

24 Jun 2014

Trevena reports positive results from TRV734 Phase 1 trial for treating acute/chronic pain

Trevena, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRVN) today announced positive results from its Phase 1 trial of TRV734, which Trevena is developing with the goal of providing improved analgesia while avoiding gastrointestinal and respiratory side effects typically associated with opioids.

23 Jun 2014

BioDelivery Sciences receives approval of NDA for BUNAVAIL from FDA

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. received approval of the New Drug Application (NDA) for BUNAVAIL™ (buprenorphine and naloxone) buccal film (CIII) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

9 Jun 2014

First Edition: April 16, 2014

Today's headlines include a report detailing how changes in the Census Bureau's annual survey could mask the health law's impact.

16 Apr 2014

BDSI enrolls first patient in Clonidine Topical Gel Phase 3 trial for treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. announced today the enrollment of the first patient in the RHAPSODY Study, a Phase 3 clinical trial of Clonidine Topical Gel for the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy.

3 Apr 2014

Biodelivery Sciences collaborates with Quintiles to launch BUNAVAIL in the U.S.

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Quintiles to provide a range of services to support the anticipated launch of BUNAVAIL (buprenorphine and naloxone buccal film), BDSI's proposed maintenance treatment for opioid dependence.

27 Mar 2014

Photoreactive compounds open new routes to treatment of neurological diseases

Photoreactive compounds developed by scientists of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich directly modulate nerve-cell function, and open new routes to the treatment of neurological diseases, including chronic pain and certain types of visual impairment.

3 Mar 2014

Clonidine before surgery may control post-surgical pain and child's anxiety

Managing a child's pain and distress after surgery is an essential part of recovery. However, using strong painkilling medications post-surgery can put kids at risk for side effects and other complications.

31 Jan 2014

Chemists able to trace narcotics substances, prescription drugs in Swedish wastewater

Chemists at Ume- University in Sweden have been able to trace narcotics substances and prescription drugs in measurements of wastewater from 33 Swedish sewage treatment plants. Cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, in measurable concentrations, were found in a total of half of the locations.

17 Dec 2013

Over 50% of nonsurgical patients prescribed opioids during hospitalizations, analysis finds

Amid a growing climate of concern regarding the overuse of opioid pain medications, a comprehensive analysis of more than 1 million hospital admissions has found that over 50 percent of all nonsurgical patients were prescribed opioids during their hospitalizations -- often at very high doses -- and that more than half of those exposed were still receiving these medications on the day they were discharged from the hospital.

14 Nov 2013

Depomed reports financial results for third quarter 2013

Total revenues were $37.5 million and included recognition of a $5.0 million milestone payment from Mallinckrodt related to the NDA filing of MNK-795. Excluding this milestone and a $10 million upfront payment from Janssen in the third quarter of 2012, total revenues of $32.5 million grew 39% compared to $23.3 million for the third quarter of 2012.

6 Nov 2013

Access to health care increases prescription opioid abuse

Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis say one way to gauge the extent of prescription opioid pain reliever abuse in any Indiana county is to count the number of health care providers, particularly dentists and pharmacists.

5 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Policy cancellations raising ire; One woman's story on more affordable insurance; Daschle: Democrats want deal on entitlements

The insurers have assumed that everyone would be required to have coverage by March 31. If the enrollment period is extended for a significant period, the sickest people are most likely to sign up early and the healthiest will likely hang back, driving up the costs ... there is no need for despair. In the long run, the technical problems can and will be fixed and most Americans will be better off.

30 Oct 2013

New study reveals striking data about misuse of painkillers and sedatives by teens, young adults

With prescription drug abuse at epidemic levels nationwide, and overdoses killing more people than auto accidents in many states, a new University of Michigan study provides striking new data about the misuse of potent prescription painkillers and sedatives by teens and young adults.