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.

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

FDA accepts DURECT's New Drug Application for POSIDUR

DURECT Corporation today announced that the New Drug Application for the investigational product POSIDUR (SABER-Bupivacaine) has been accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicating that the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review.

20 Jun 2013

Missing brain enzyme increases concentrations of protein related to pain-killer addiction

A missing brain enzyme increases concentrations of a protein related to pain-killer addiction, according to an animal study. The results will be presented Monday at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

18 Jun 2013

Orexo announces dosing of first patient with Zubsolv in phase III clinical study

Orexo AB announces today that the first patient has been dosed with Zubsolv in a phase III study for a new clinical indication for Zubsolv.

17 Jun 2013

Penn researchers develop variant of mu opioid painkiller receptor to overcome side effects

Opioids, such as morphine, are still the most effective class of painkillers, but they come with unwanted side effects and can also be addictive and deadly at high doses. Designing new pain-killing drugs of this type involves testing them on their corresponding receptors, but access to meaningful quantities of these receptors that can work in experimental conditions has always been a limiting factor.

15 Jun 2013

CLAAD urges FDA to implement Obama administration's policy on safer opioid medications

The Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence joined in signing a Citizen Petition filed today urging the Food and Drug Administration to fully implement the Obama administration's policy supporting a market transition to safer opioid medications.

11 Jun 2013

First consensus guidelines for use of neurostimulation in chronic pain

Recognizing that treatment of chronic pain can be confounding, the Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee, an international group of more than 60 leading pain specialists, has created the first consensus guidelines for the use of neurostimulation in chronic pain.

10 Jun 2013

International experts formulate guidance for neuromodulation practitioners

An international panel of experts has formulated guidance for neuromodulation practitioners that reflects increasing recognition of the value of this growing field.

10 Jun 2013

Naloxegol meets primary and secondary endpoints in two pivotal Phase III studies

AstraZeneca today presented the results of two pivotal Phase III studies of naloxegol showing the 25 mg dose of the investigational drug met its primary and secondary endpoints for efficacy and showed a safety profile consistent with previous studies.

22 May 2013

COPD patients also experience significant amounts of chronic pain, researchers say

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is primarily associated with the respiratory symptoms that are its hallmark, but in fact, patients who struggle with the disease also experience significant amounts of chronic pain.

22 May 2013

PRIUM creates Centers with Standards database for payer-clients

PRIUM, a medical intervention company that helps reduce the inappropriate use of prescription drugs on workers' compensation claims, wants to highlight good functional restoration clinics and chronic pain management clinics for its payer-clients.

20 May 2013

FDA to review QRxPharma's resubmitted MOXDUO NDA in July 2013

QRxPharma Limited announced today the US Food and Drug Administration has set 17 July 2013 as the date of the Advisory Committee meeting to consider the Company's resubmitted MOXDUO New Drug Application.

18 May 2013

Regularly taking prescription painkillers is associated with higher risk of ED in men

Regularly taking prescription painkillers, also known as opioids, is associated with a higher risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, according to a study published online today in the journal Spine.

17 May 2013

New challenges to military medicine

Better body armor and rapid aeromedical evacuations enable American service members to survive blasts that would have proved fatal in Vietnam or even the first Gulf War, but they pose new challenges to military medicine - how to deal with the excruciating pain of injuries, especially severe burns from IED blasts that body armor can't protect.

13 May 2013

Sedasys gets PMA approval from FDA for SEDASYS System

Sedasys, a Division of Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted PMA approval for the SEDASYS System, the first computer-assisted personalized sedation system.

5 May 2013

Martindale Pharma announces UK launch of Prenoxad Injection for opioid overdose

Martindale Pharma, a leader in the manufacture and supply of specialty pharmaceuticals, is pleased to announce the UK launch of Prenoxad Injection, the world's first licensed emergency treatment for acute opioid related overdose for use at home or other non-medical settings.

3 May 2013

Regional anesthesia improves outcomes in sleep apnea patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty

Using regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia in patients with sleep apnea undergoing total joint replacement decreases major complications by 17%, according to a study published online, ahead of print, in the journal Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.