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.

GLP-1 drugs may help curb addiction by targeting reward pathways

GLP-1 receptor agonists, already used for Type 2 diabetes and obesity, show promise in reducing alcohol and drug-seeking behaviors through central reward and dopamine-related pathways. Most evidence remains preclinical, with limited early human data, so larger clinical trials are needed before these drugs can be recommended for addiction treatment.

21 May 2026

Study links pediatric sedation strategies with later neurocognitive outcomes

A new Penn Nursing study suggests that the specific sedatives used during critical illness in early childhood may have long-term implications for a child's neurocognitive development.

19 May 2026

Opioid-related infections linked to rising amputation rates across United States

Severe infections linked to opioid use often progress rapidly, particularly when access to timely medical care is limited. This can result in devastating health outcomes, including life-altering amputations.

19 May 2026

Endometriosis increases risk of some birth defects in infants

Research indicates women with endometriosis may face a higher risk of congenital anomalies in infants, emphasizing the need for further investigation.

13 May 2026

NIH awards $3.9 million grant to develop a non-opioid pain treatment

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a $3.9 million grant to a multi-institutional team led by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute to develop a non-opioid pain therapeutic and advance it into a Phase 1 clinical trial.

4 May 2026

TikTok chatter could help predict where the opioid crisis is heading next

A large-scale analysis of 569,581 TikTok comments found that opioid-related discussions may help track and forecast synthetic opioid overdose mortality in the US. Recovery, harm reduction, drug use, drug sourcing, and loss-related conversations provided near-real-time signals that improved 6-month forecasting accuracy.

28 Apr 2026

New clinical guidelines significantly reduce opioid prescriptions after ear surgery

A new retrospective study published in OTO Open, the open-access journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), demonstrates that the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) Opioid Prescribing for Analgesia After Common Otolaryngology Operations has had a measurable and sustained impact on prescribing practices following parotidectomy, which a surgical procedure to remove the parotid gland.

28 Apr 2026

U.S. dentists still prescribe opioids at higher rates globally

People getting their teeth pulled or drilled by dentists in the United States are still much more likely to get powerful opioid medications than dental patients in other developed countries or even the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, a new study finds.

23 Apr 2026

UCL study urges clinician vigilance when prescribing gabapentinoids for pain

People who take gabapentinoids, a medication prescribed increasingly frequently worldwide, particularly for chronic pain, face a much greater risk of drug poisoning if they are also taking another medication, finds a new study by University College London (UCL) researchers.

17 Apr 2026

Prenatal opioid exposure shows minimal effect on later academic performance

Every 25 minutes in the United States, a baby is diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a condition that occurs in newborns who have been exposed to opioids in the womb and develop withdrawal after birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

13 Apr 2026

Standard naloxone doses may not reverse newer synthetic opioid overdoses

A new study exposes challenges in reversing opioid overdoses with naloxone when potent synthetic drugs like fentanyl and sufentanil are involved, according to a study in the May 2026 issue of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

13 Apr 2026

New brain circuit discovery offers hope for chronic pain treatment

A new map of a brain circuit specific to chronic pain suggests a promising route to treatment for the roughly 60 million Americans living with persistent pain, according to a study published in Nature.

1 Apr 2026

Highly potent opioid shows potential as therapy for pain and opioid use disorder

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified a novel, highly potent opioid that shows potential as a therapy for both pain and opioid use disorder.

1 Apr 2026

Study finds addiction risk tied to reward and impulse genes

Most of the genetic risk for developing a substance use disorder comes from genes that broadly affect how our brains process rewards, regulate impulses and weigh consequences – not from genes that specifically influence substance use disorder or any single drug.

22 Mar 2026

New tool helps identify fake medicines through pill dissolution patterns

Fake news can be tricky to spot, but spotting fake drugs just got a little easier. Researchers have devised a low-cost way to help distinguish legitimate medications from counterfeit ones.

19 Mar 2026

Maker of device to treat addiction withdrawal seeks counties’ opioid settlement cash

In the early 2000s, Michelle Warfield worked at a factory, hauling heavy seats for Ford trucks on and off an assembly line. To suppress daily aches in her back and hips, her doctor prescribed opioid painkillers.

18 Mar 2026

Weekly buprenorphine injections improve opioid abstinence during pregnancy

In a clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a research team found that administering weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy led to higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than buprenorphine given daily under the tongue (sublingual), one of the standard methods of treatment.

16 Mar 2026

New release Wiley's Mass Spectra of Designer Drugs 2026 expands coverage of emerging novel psychoactive substances

Wiley, a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence for the advancement of scientific discovery, innovation and learning, today announced the 2026 release of Mass Spectra of Designer Drugs, the essential GC‑MS spectral database used by forensic laboratories worldwide for the rapid identification of illicit substances.

From John Wiley and Sons - Scientific Publishers 16 Mar 2026

Cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines linked to higher stroke risk

Cannabis and other illicit drugs are associated with higher stroke risk, underscoring the importance of addressing substance use disorders in health strategies.

11 Mar 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help curb addiction? Large veteran study points to potential benefit

A large cohort study of more than 600,000 US veterans with type 2 diabetes found that initiating GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with lower risks of developing substance use disorders compared with SGLT-2 inhibitors. Among veterans with existing substance use disorders, GLP-1 receptor agonist use was also linked to fewer overdose events, hospitalizations, and suicide-related outcomes.

8 Mar 2026