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.

OGF-OGFr axis discovery provides new insights into ovarian cancer

Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania have discovered that the presence and integrity of the opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr), which mediates the inhibitory action of opioid growth factor (OGF) on cell proliferation, is a key to understanding the progression and treatment of human ovarian cancer.

22 Feb 2012

Modified imatinib cancer drug prevents morphine tolerance in rats

By reformulating the common cancer drug imatinib (Gleevec), researchers have eliminated morphine tolerance in rats - an important step toward improving the effectiveness of chronic pain management in patients, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

20 Feb 2012

FSMB initiatives to raise awareness about opioid prescribing

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) announced today several initiatives aimed at addressing the rise of opioid abuse and related deaths in the United States, while safeguarding legitimate access to medications for patients with pain.

18 Feb 2012

Web-based intervention can effectively manage chronic migraine

painACTION.com is a free, non-promotional online program designed to support self-management and improve overall function in people with chronic pain. This study tested painACTION.com's ability to increase the use of self-management skills in people with chronic migraine headaches.

17 Feb 2012

Trevena commences TRV130 Phase I clinical trial for severe post-operative pain

Trevena, Inc., the leader in discovery and development of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) biased ligands, announced today the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial of TRV130, a novel candidate designed for the intravenous treatment of moderate-to-severe post-operative pain.

13 Feb 2012

Bupivacaine may effectively manage pain after total knee replacement

Researchers at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson have shown that local anesthesia delivered through a catheter in the joint, intraarticularly, may be more beneficial than traditional opioids such as morphine and Oxycontin for pain management following total knee replacement surgery.

10 Feb 2012

Comprehensive program to help reduce health risks of narcotics drugs on injured workers

Accident Fund Holdings, Inc. recently created a comprehensive narcotics program to help reduce the health risks of these drugs on injured workers and ultimately provide a mechanism for them to get back to work sooner.

6 Feb 2012

New editorial offers clarity on confusing drug and alcohol addiction terminology

A new editorial released this week offers clarity and structure on confusing drug and alcohol addiction terminology for prescribers, users and regulators. "Through a glass darkly: can we improve clarity about mechanism and aims of medications in drug and alcohol treatments?" is published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, the official journal of the British Association for Psychopharmacology, published by SAGE.

4 Feb 2012

Takeda, SPI announce that lubiprostone phase 3 trial on OBD meets primary endpoint

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. announced today that lubiprostone met the primary endpoint in a phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction (OBD) in patients with chronic, non-cancer pain, excluding those taking methadone.

2 Feb 2012

Array second quarter revenue increases to $23.2 million

Array BioPharma Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2012.

31 Jan 2012

Research on neuron interaction could lead to potential treatment for addiction

Harvard scientists have developed the fullest picture yet of how neurons in the brain interact to reinforce behaviors ranging from learning to drug use, a finding that might open the door to possible breakthroughs in the treatment of addiction.

19 Jan 2012

Heavy drinking may reinforce itself by stimulating endorphin release: Study

A new study has shown that drinking alcohol causes a pleasant feeling because it releases endorphins, the brain’s natural opioids. It adds that problem drinkers differ from social drinkers in the way alcohol affects one part of the brain. The report appeared Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine.

15 Jan 2012

Researchers discover previously unknown effect of opioids

A team of researchers at the MedUni Vienna's Department of Neurophysiology has discovered a previously unknown effect of opioids: the study, which has now been published in the highly respected magazine "Science" and was led by Ruth Drdla-Schutting and Jürgen Sandkühler, shows that opioids not only temporarily relieve pain, but at the right dose can also erase memory traces of pain in the spinal cord and therefore eliminate a key cause of chronic pain.

13 Jan 2012

Lightlake intends to develop a treatment for premenstrual syndrome overeating

Lightlake Therapeutics Inc., an early stage biopharmaceutical company developing modern addiction treatments based on its expertise using opioid antagonists, announced today that it intends to develop a treatment for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) overeating using its patented technology involving opioid antagonists.

7 Jan 2012

Illegal drug use may be affecting health, death rates worldwide, Lancet report says

"About 200 million people around the world use illegal drugs every year, and that may be taking a toll on health and death rates in various countries, says a report released Thursday in the Lancet," the Los Angeles Times' "Booster Shots" blog reports.

7 Jan 2012

USPTO issues patent to Tris Pharma's OralXR+ platform

Tris Pharma, an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, announced the US grant of its core technology patent for its OralXR+ platform. This is the first patent grant of a substantial estate filed by Tris Pharma and covers a multitude of actives having modified release formulations comprising drug-ion exchange resin complexes.

7 Jan 2012

ProStrakan announces FDA approval for Transmucosal Immediate Release Fentanyl REMS Access program

ProStrakan, Inc., a subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd., and an international specialty pharmaceutical company, today announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the TIRF (Transmucosal Immediate Release Fentanyl) REMS Access program.

31 Dec 2011

Single shared REMS for TIRF products receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a single shared Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl (TIRF) products. This new shared system will replace the individual REMS and allow prescribers and pharmacies to enroll into just one system, easing the burden on the health care system.

30 Dec 2011

Powerful painkiller on its way to the market: Experts worry about addiction woes

Drug makers are on their way to a pure, more powerful version of the nation’s second most-abused medicine, which has addiction experts worried that it could spur a new wave of abuse. The new pills contain the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone, packing up to 10 times the amount of the drug as existing medications such as Vicodin.

28 Dec 2011

$First study to explore impact of crowding on children with fracture-related pain$

First study to explore impact of crowding on children with fracture-related pain

Crowding in hospital emergency departments has led to a decrease in the timely and effective use of pain medication in children suffering acute long bone fractures, according to a new study by the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

23 Dec 2011