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.

New data shows opioid overdose deaths hit record levels in 2014

From 2000 to 2014 nearly half a million Americans died from drug overdoses. Opioid overdose deaths, including both opioid pain relievers and heroin, hit record levels in 2014, with an alarming 14 percent increase in just one year, according to new data published today in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

20 Dec 2015

Toronto researchers reveal how opioids interfere with breathing mechanism

University of Toronto researchers on a quest to make opioid drugs less lethal have discovered a window of opportunity: a tiny channel in the brain where opioids interfere with the breathing mechanism.

18 Dec 2015

Feeling sad can alter levels of inflammatory proteins linked to increased risk of comorbid diseases

Feeling sad can alter levels of stress-related opioids in the brain and increase levels of inflammatory proteins in the blood that are linked to increased risk of comorbid diseases including heart disease, stroke and metabolic syndrome, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

17 Dec 2015

Drug use remains stable among teens, MTF survey shows

The 2015 Monitoring the Future survey (MTF) shows decreasing use of a number of substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, prescription opioid pain relievers, and synthetic cannabinoids ("synthetic marijuana"). Other drug use remains stable, including marijuana, with continued high rates of daily use reported among 12th graders, and ongoing declines in perception of its harms.

17 Dec 2015

Recreational drug and alcohol use can increase risk of poisoning-related hospital admissions

Poisonings from recreational drug and alcohol use account for 9 percent of all poisoning-related hospital admissions, says a new University of Sydney study revealing that males and people under 30 are at greatest risk.

17 Dec 2015

Stanford study finds that overprescription of opioids goes beyond ‘pill mill’ prescribers

Most prescriptions for opioid painkillers are made by the broad swath of U.S. general practitioners, not by a limited group of specialists, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

17 Dec 2015

Tris announces FDA approval of first-ever ER chewable tablet

Tris Pharma, Inc. is pleased to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever extended-release (ER) chewable tablet, capping off a highly productive year with three Tris-developed NDAs approved in a calendar year.

16 Dec 2015

Identifying and avoiding wasteful or unnecessary medical tests

Too many tests at the doctor's office could cost you more than just dollars. In addition to the huge hit to your wallet, there's also the potential harm of false positives, and just because a test has traditionally been done for a condition doesn't mean it's the best way to treat it.

13 Dec 2015

Access to harm reduction programs vey low in rural and suburban areas affected by HIV infections

Access to harm reduction programs such as syringe exchange is lowest in rural and suburban areas, where rates of addiction to heroin and other opioids are on the rise, according to a study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published online today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

12 Dec 2015

CAMH survey finds risky drinking behaviour among Ontario students

Alcohol remains the most popular drug of choice for Ontario students in grades 7 through 12, with 29 percent of 12th graders engaging in hazardous drinking, according to the 2015 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) released today by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

10 Dec 2015

Motivational interviewing helps curb prescription opioid abuse among older adults with chronic pain

Prescription opioid abuse has reached epidemic proportions, with more than half of patients being treated for chronic pain reportedly misusing their medication at some point.

8 Dec 2015

FDA approves Narcan nasal spray to prevent or reverse effects of opioid overdose

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan nasal spray, the first FDA-approved nasal spray version of naloxone hydrochloride, a life-saving medication that can stop or reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, as well as the illegal drug heroin.

18 Nov 2015

Experts issue recommendations aimed at stemming prescription opioid epidemic

A group of experts, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, today issued recommendations aimed at stemming the prescription opioid epidemic, a crisis that kills an average of 44 people a day in the U.S.

17 Nov 2015

Older populations in rural areas face special health care challenges

A new study of adults ages 85 or older has found that rural residents have significantly higher levels of chronic disease, take more medications, and die several years earlier than their urban counterparts.

13 Nov 2015

Women need different treatment from men with addiction, says McMaster University-led study

Painkillers prescribed by doctors are the starting point for an opioid addiction for more than half of female methadone clinic patients, and they need different treatment from men with addiction, says a study led by McMaster University researchers.

10 Nov 2015

University of Leicester awarded BBSRC grant to explore three key areas that impact human health

The University of Leicester has been awarded over £1.5 million in order to advance knowledge and understanding in three key areas that impact on health.

5 Nov 2015

Braeburn, Camurus announce FDA Fast Track designation for CAM2038 to treat opioid addiction

Braeburn Pharmaceuticals and Camurus announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track designation for the CAM2038 weekly and monthly buprenorphine subcutaneous injection products under development for the treatment of opioid addiction.

5 Nov 2015

New computer-based modeling may help improve outcomes for babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome

Computer-based modeling is helping to further reduce length of hospital stay and duration of treatment with opioids that are used therapeutically to wean babies born in withdrawal from drugs their mothers have taken. This condition is known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

30 Oct 2015

New research reveals regional variations in use of heroin and prescription painkillers

New research shows that drug abusers are not completely abandoning prescription opioids for heroin. Instead, many use the two concurrently based on their availability, according to a survey of 15,000 patients at drug-treatment centers in 49 states.

29 Oct 2015

Prescription opioids overprescribed in some regions of British Columbia, UBC study finds

Strong painkillers known as prescription opioids appear to be overprescribed in some regions of British Columbia (B.C.), resulting in higher rates of overdose and death, according to a new study from UBC.

29 Oct 2015

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

New data shows opioid overdose deaths hit record levels in 2014

Toronto researchers reveal how opioids interfere with breathing mechanism

Feeling sad can alter levels of inflammatory proteins linked to increased risk of comorbid diseases

Drug use remains stable among teens, MTF survey shows

Recreational drug and alcohol use can increase risk of poisoning-related hospital admissions

Stanford study finds that overprescription of opioids goes beyond ‘pill mill’ prescribers

Tris announces FDA approval of first-ever ER chewable tablet

Identifying and avoiding wasteful or unnecessary medical tests

Access to harm reduction programs vey low in rural and suburban areas affected by HIV infections

CAMH survey finds risky drinking behaviour among Ontario students

Motivational interviewing helps curb prescription opioid abuse among older adults with chronic pain

FDA approves Narcan nasal spray to prevent or reverse effects of opioid overdose

Experts issue recommendations aimed at stemming prescription opioid epidemic

Older populations in rural areas face special health care challenges

Women need different treatment from men with addiction, says McMaster University-led study

University of Leicester awarded BBSRC grant to explore three key areas that impact human health

Braeburn, Camurus announce FDA Fast Track designation for CAM2038 to treat opioid addiction

New computer-based modeling may help improve outcomes for babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome

New research reveals regional variations in use of heroin and prescription painkillers

Prescription opioids overprescribed in some regions of British Columbia, UBC study finds

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