Opioid Drug News and Research

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The surprising effect of cannabis on morphine dependence

Injections of THC, the active principle of cannabis, eliminate dependence on opiates (morphine, heroin) in rats deprived of their mothers at birth. This has been shown by a study carried out by Valérie Daugé and her team at the Laboratory for Physiopathology of Diseases of the Central Nervous System (UPMC / CNRS / INSERM) in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. The findings could lead to therapeutic alternatives to existing substitution treatments.

6 Jul 2009

Double the number of Australians now being treated for heroin addiction

The latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows in the last decade the number of Australians being treated for heroin, or other opioid, addiction has almost doubled.

22 May 2009

Study offers new insights into morphine-induced tolerance and increased pain sensitivity

A study published in the June issue of Anesthesiology has shown that a drug metabolite of the opioid morphine may be a key factor in the paradoxical increased sensitivity to pain caused by chronic morphine use. For the first time, this metabolite (called morphine-6 glucuronide, or M6G) was shown to act independently of the pain receptors typically targeted during morphine administration.

21 May 2009

New initiative to ensure the safe use of methadone

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an initiative to help ensure the safe use of methadone.

30 Apr 2009

AcelRx starts cancer breakthrough pain program

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of ARX-02, a proprietary sublingual sufentanil NanoTab product candidate for cancer breakthrough pain control.

22 Apr 2009

Study findings have implications for development of pain-relieving drugs

Morphine and other opioids are widely used to treat both acute and chronic pain – yet their benefits are often limited because some people experience side effects or do not respond to them efficiently.

21 Apr 2009

Naltrexone appears to relieve fibromyalgia pain

For Tara Campbell, the onset of her fibromyalgia began slowly with repeated sore throats, fevers and fatigue.

20 Apr 2009

FDA acts to avoid shortage of medically necessary opioid

The U.S Food and Drug Administration today amended its March 30, 2009, action warning manufacturers to stop the production and distribution of certain unapproved prescription opioids, to allow the continued marketing and distribution of one particular type of opioid -- a high concentrate morphine sulfate oral solution -- on an interim basis.

12 Apr 2009

Managing pain in the ICU

Managing pain in the ICU is an ongoing and significant challenge for the critical care team.

8 Apr 2009

Opioid antagonists show potential for problematic pain

Achieving effective, durable, and safe pain relief, especially in patients with chronic and/or severe pain conditions, can be difficult.

2 Apr 2009

Collaborative care intervention helps improve management of chronic pain

Patients with chronic pain who took part in a collaborative care intervention that included patient and clinician education and symptom monitoring and feedback to the primary care physician had improvements in pain-related disability and intensity, compared to usual care, according to a study in the March 25 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

24 Mar 2009

Naltrexone can reduce relapse rates among alcohol-dependence patients

Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist approved in 1994 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for alcohol-dependence (AD) treatment, can reduce relapse rates among AD patients.

20 Mar 2009

Low to moderate drinking releases 'feel-good' endorphins in the brain, not heavy drinking

Scientists know that alcohol affects the brain, but the specifics remain unclear.

20 Mar 2009

Opioid antagonists help pain management

Achieving effective, durable, and safe pain relief, especially in patients with chronic and/or severe pain conditions, can be difficult.

3 Mar 2009

Ondansetron shown to be a viable treatment option for opioid addiction

Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that a commonly available non-addictive drug can prevent symptoms of withdrawal from opioids with little likelihood of serious side effects.

18 Feb 2009

New guidelines for prescribing opioid pain drugs

A prestigious panel of pain-management experts representing the American Pain Society (APS) www.ampainsoc.org and the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) has published the first comprehensive clinical practice guideline to assist clinicians in prescribing potent opioid pain medications for patients with chronic non-cancer pain.

10 Feb 2009

New guideline for prescribing opioid pain drugs published

A national panel of pain management experts representing the American Pain Society (APS) and the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) has published the first comprehensive, evidence-based clinical practice guideline to assist clinicians in prescribing potent opioid pain medications for patients with chronic non-cancer pain.

8 Feb 2009

End-of-life care at hospitals varies for children with cancer

Though treatment of pain and attention to end-of-life care for pediatric cancer patients has improved over the last few decades, there is still work to be done.

5 Feb 2009

Leconotide, an investigative calcium channel blocker, shows potential as pain treatment

Results of a pre-clinical study of leconotide, an investigative calcium channel blocker, shows it has the potential to be safe, selective, and efficacious as a new non-opioid treatment for pain relief. It also holds promise in multiple drug delivery options including nasal spray, transdermal patch, and pills. Data were presented today at the American Academy of Pain Medicine's 25th Annual Meeting.

29 Jan 2009

Phase III studies of EXPAREL (DepoBupivacaine) from Pacira complete enrollment

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an acute care specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that enrollment has been completed in two pivotal Phase III SIMPLE trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single intraoperative administration of EXPAREL(TM) (DepoBupivacaine) for prolonged postoperative analgesia.

6 Jan 2009