Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

E-cigarettes more effective for smoking cessation than conventional nicotine-replacement therapy

Nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective in helping people quit smoking than conventional nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT), according to the latest Cochrane review co-led by a University of Massachusetts Amherst public health and health policy researcher.

8 Jan 2024

Woman petitions health insurer after company approves — then rejects — her infusions

When KFF Health News published an article in August about the "prior authorization hell" Sally Nix said she went through to secure approval from her insurance company for the expensive monthly infusions she needs, we thought her story had a happy ending.

4 Jan 2024

The year in opioid settlements: 5 things you need to know

This year, about $1.5 billion has landed in state and local government coffers from court settlements made with more than a dozen companies that manufactured, sold, or distributed prescription painkillers and were sued for their role in fueling the opioid crisis.

21 Dec 2023

New study challenges "gold standard" opioid treatment for cancer pain

Researchers examining the data on opioids for pain caused by cancer have found surprisingly large gaps in evidence regarding the true benefits of these medicines for cancer pain.

18 Dec 2023

New study casts doubt on effectiveness of opioids for cancer pain

The world's largest review on opioid medicines for cancer pain has found it is unclear whether some commonly used opioid medicines are better than a placebo and suggests that non-opioid medicines, including aspirin, may be as effective as opioids.

18 Dec 2023

‘They see a cash cow’: Corporations could consume $50 billion of opioid settlements

The marketing pitches are bold and arriving fast: Invest opioid settlement dollars in a lasso-like device to help police detain people without Tasers or pepper spray.

18 Dec 2023

Addiction stigma discourages many people from seeking treatment

Addiction is one of society's most misunderstood and rebuked health conditions. That stigma discourages many people from seeking treatment for substance dependence, according to a new report published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

15 Dec 2023

UH researchers secure NIH grant to tackle buprenorphine's dental side effects

In the fatal world of opioid use disorder (OUD), pharmacotherapy, or using a prescribed medication to treat drug dependence, has emerged as the gold standard of treatment.

14 Dec 2023

Millions in opioid settlement funds sit untouched as overdose deaths rise

Nearly a year after Montana began receiving millions of dollars to invest in efforts to combat the opioid crisis, much of that money remains untouched. Meanwhile, the state's opioid overdose and death counts continue to rise.

13 Dec 2023

As foundation for ‘excited delirium’ diagnosis cracks, fallout spreads

When Angelo Quinto's family learned that officials blamed his 2020 death on "excited delirium," a term they had never heard before, they couldn't believe it. To them, it was obvious the science behind the diagnosis wasn't real.

13 Dec 2023

UMSOM receives $29 million research award to improve health outcomes in people who inject opioid drugs

University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today that the school will receive a $29 million research award over four years from the National Institutes of Health to lead a multicenter trial that aims to improve health outcomes in people who inject opioid drugs and are hospitalized with infectious complications of their drug use.

11 Dec 2023

Study shows decline in post-surgery opioid prescriptions, but urges continued efforts

Post-surgery pain relief has shifted away from opioid-containing medications over the past seven years, but the downward trend has slowed since 2020, a new study shows.

7 Dec 2023

Promising candidate medication for preventing and reversing fentanyl-induced overdose

Researchers assessed CSX-1004, a monoclonal antibody (mAb), for its efficacy in reversing fentanyl overdose based on its high affinity for fentanyl, positive animal model results, and safe pharmacokinetic profile, positioning it as a potential solution in the opioid crisis.

7 Dec 2023