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.

Opioid dependence causes greatest health burden of all illicit drugs

The first ever analysis of the global and regional prevalence of dependence upon the four major categories of illicit drugs – amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, and opioids (such as heroin) – has revealed that opioid dependence causes the greatest health burden (overall death and illness) of all the illicit drugs. The results come from new analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010, and are published in The Lancet.

29 Aug 2013

Ingestion of strong opioids can cause central nervous system depression, death in young children

Medication poisonings among children are an important public health problem. During 2010-2011, an average of 1500 children under 6 years of age was evaluated in emergency departments each year due to unintentional exposure to buprenorphine. Ingestion of strong opioids, such as buprenorphine, can cause central nervous system depression, respiratory depression, and death in young children.

29 Aug 2013

Researchers develop new opioid drug for chronic pain

A team of researchers led by Andrew Coop, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, has developed a new opioid drug that shows great potential to advance treatment and improve quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain.

29 Aug 2013

Report shows nonmedical use of pain relievers may increase risk of using heroin later

A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that people aged 12 to 49 who had used prescription pain relievers nonmedically were 19 times more likely to have initiated heroin use recently (within the past 12 months of being interviewed) than others in that age group (0.39 percent versus 0.02 percent).

23 Aug 2013

American Pain Society sponsors two educational symposia at PAINWeek

The American Pain Society strongly believes professional and consumer education programs can achieve significant benefits for patients by improving clinicians' knowledge regarding optimal approaches for assessing and treating chronic pain.

19 Aug 2013

Few physicians receive adequate training to help patients with chronic pain

Pain is the most common reason a patient sees a physician but few physicians have received adequate training to help their patients, according to a Henry Ford Hospital article published in the Journal of American Osteopathic Association.

13 Aug 2013

OGF-OGFr axis can be modulated in human triple-negative breast cancer cells to inhibit proliferation

Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, led by Dr. Ian S. Zagon, have discovered that a novel biological pathway, the OGF-OGFr axis, can be modulated in human triple-negative breast cancer cells to inhibit proliferation. According to BreastCancer.org 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer and more than 39,000 deaths occur annually.

12 Aug 2013

Expansion of heroin, opioid medical treatment needed to reduce overdose deaths

A new report from Simon Fraser University researcher Bohdan Nosyk calls for the expansion of heroin and opioid medical treatment to stem the increase of overdose deaths.

7 Aug 2013

Severe arthritis pain treatments: an interview with Professor Walsh, University of Nottingham and Professor Wood, UCL

Pain is defined by the sufferer’s experience. Pain may be severe because it is intense, frequent or sustained, and because it is distressing. The severity of pain is not simply due to what is going on in the joint, but is also affected by how the body processes the pain signals, and the context in which it is experienced.

31 Jul 2013

Junk-food diet during pregnancy may change development of opioid pathway in baby's brain

Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, shows that eating a junk-food diet during pregnancy changes the development of the opioid signalling pathway in the baby's brain and permanently alters the way this system operates after birth.

30 Jul 2013

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to Convergence's CNV1014802 for treatment of TN

Convergence Pharmaceuticals Limited, the company focused on the development of novel and high value analgesic medicines for the treatment of chronic pain, is pleased to announce that its novel sodium channel blocker, CNV1014802 ('802), has been granted orphan-drug designation by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

30 Jul 2013

Research roundup: Eye care disparities; more complications for Medicaid patients after spine surgery; the cost to states opting against Medicaid expansion

After analyzing 2003-2004 data of patients who underwent spinal surgery at two medical institutions, they found that Medicaid beneficiaries were at much higher risk of experiencing any type of complication than patients who are privately insured. "The results of our study further support the growing body of literature that Medicaid patients have higher rates of complications," the authors write. When evaluating patients and considering the likelihood of complications, "Medicaid status should be considered as well," they concluded (Hacquebord et al., 7/15).

20 Jul 2013

Cubist initiates bevenopran Phase 3 studies in patients with chronic non-cancer pain and OIC

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the initiation of Phase 3 efficacy studies of bevenopran (previously known as CB-5945) in patients with chronic non-cancer pain and opioid-induced constipation.

19 Jul 2013

New Mexico Medicaid overhaul OK'd

Medicaid recipients will face co-pays for some treatments and have their medical services tracked as part of a program overhaul that is intended to lower the costs of providing health care, Gov. Susana Martinez's administration announced Monday. There will be no changes in determining who qualifies for Medicaid, which serves about a quarter of New Mexico's population (Massey, 7/15).

16 Jul 2013

Research on activating Glial Cells to be presented at 7th Annual Pain Therapeutics Summit East

Linda Watkins, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Co-Chair, Advisory Board, Xalud Therapeutics, Inc. will present research on activating Glial Cells as part of the speaking faculty at the 7th Annual Pain Therapeutics Summit East in Boston, MA.

11 Jul 2013

Poor, less educated patients are less likely to receive opioid pain medications in emergency rooms

Patients in moderate to severe pain in emergency rooms across the U.S. are less likely to receive opioid pain medications if they are black, Hispanic, poor, or have less education, compared to more affluent patients, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

27 Jun 2013

Researchers study possible alternative medications to treat cancer-related pain

Researchers at the Brain and Spine Institute at John Theurer Cancer Center at HackensackUMC, one of the nation's 50 best hospitals for cancer, are studying a possible alternative to side effect-ridden opioid-based medications to treat cancer-related pain.

27 Jun 2013

Physician’s unfavorable attitudes about opioid drugs linked with lower rates of prescribing

According to a study of physicians' attitudes about pain drugs published in The Journal of Pain, negative physician attitudes about opioid medications are closely associated with lower rates of prescribing and more favorable attitudes are linked with higher prescribing levels.

26 Jun 2013

Viewpoints: Mich. gov. says Medicaid expansion would save money, lives; CMS on making medical devices affordable

The people of Michigan elected the members of the state Senate to be leaders, not vacationers. Unfortunately, the Senate forgot that Thursday and adjourned for its summer vacation. It left Lansing without voting on a bill that would provide health care coverage to nearly half a million working Michiganders. Ensuring access to affordable, quality health care is one of the most significant challenges facing Michigan. The Healthy Michigan plan developed over the past several months is a plan that addresses many of the state's needs and reflects the state's values (Gov. Rick Snyder, 6/23).

25 Jun 2013

Nearly 70% of Americans use at least one prescription drug, say researchers

Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two, Mayo Clinic researchers say. Antibiotics, antidepressants and painkilling opioids are most commonly prescribed, their study found. Twenty percent of patients are on five or more prescription medications, according to the findings, published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

20 Jun 2013

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Opioid dependence causes greatest health burden of all illicit drugs

Ingestion of strong opioids can cause central nervous system depression, death in young children

Researchers develop new opioid drug for chronic pain

Report shows nonmedical use of pain relievers may increase risk of using heroin later

American Pain Society sponsors two educational symposia at PAINWeek

Few physicians receive adequate training to help patients with chronic pain

OGF-OGFr axis can be modulated in human triple-negative breast cancer cells to inhibit proliferation

Expansion of heroin, opioid medical treatment needed to reduce overdose deaths

Severe arthritis pain treatments: an interview with Professor Walsh, University of Nottingham and Professor Wood, UCL

Junk-food diet during pregnancy may change development of opioid pathway in baby's brain

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to Convergence's CNV1014802 for treatment of TN

Research roundup: Eye care disparities; more complications for Medicaid patients after spine surgery; the cost to states opting against Medicaid expansion

Cubist initiates bevenopran Phase 3 studies in patients with chronic non-cancer pain and OIC

New Mexico Medicaid overhaul OK'd

Research on activating Glial Cells to be presented at 7th Annual Pain Therapeutics Summit East

Poor, less educated patients are less likely to receive opioid pain medications in emergency rooms

Researchers study possible alternative medications to treat cancer-related pain

Physician’s unfavorable attitudes about opioid drugs linked with lower rates of prescribing

Viewpoints: Mich. gov. says Medicaid expansion would save money, lives; CMS on making medical devices affordable

Nearly 70% of Americans use at least one prescription drug, say researchers

Event guide: The Non-Opioid Pain Therapeutics Summit eBook

The Critical Role of Sample Storage in Drug Discovery and Development

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

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