Opioid Dependence News and Research

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Aging clock analysis identifies key genes in opioid dependence

A new research paper was published in Volume 18 of Aging on July 27, 2026, titled "Transcriptomic aging clock analysis identifies key genes in opioid dependence."

12 Aug 2026

Study links commercial cannabis markets to increased addiction

Removing criminal penalties for possessing cannabis for personal use, or introducing tightly controlled legalisation of cannabis, does not appear to increase levels of cannabis use.

17 Jun 2026

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

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

Kaiser Permanente to pay $556 million in record Medicare Advantage fraud settlement

In the largest Medicare Advantage fraud settlement to date, Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $556 million to settle Justice Department allegations that it billed the government for medical conditions patients didn't have.

16 Jan 2026

Most sickle cell patients face long delays for recommended pain relief, study shows

A new study finds that only one in three patients visiting emergency departments (EDs) for severe pain associated with sickle cell disease received appropriate opioid-based pain-relieving medications within the first hour as recommended by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

6 Dec 2025

USC study sheds light on nationwide naloxone awareness and use

A new USC-led study provides the first nationwide picture of who knows about, carries, and uses naloxone to reverse deadly opioid overdoses.

3 Mar 2025

Study finds lack of consensus on how to treat chronic non-cancer pain

Chronic pain is complex and difficult to treat. Prescribing opioid pain medications has become controversial but may help some patients.

22 Feb 2025

Hydrodissection may offer hope for post-amputation pain relief

A reliable method to treat post-amputation pain remains elusive, but a new Northwestern Medicine study conducted in collaboration with Ukrainian physicians suggests that hydrodissection - a simple procedure that injects fluid around nerves - may reduce residual limb pain and opioid dependence.

19 Feb 2025

Weill Cornell Medicine professor receives major grant for pediatric pain management study

Dr. Chani Traube, the Gerald M. Loughlin, MD Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a $3.4 million grant, with the possibility of extending to a total of $17 million over five years, from the National Institutes of Health, for a large-scale clinical trial called Optimizing Pain Treatment in Children on Mechanical ventilation (OPTICOM).

1 Nov 2024

Heat map reveals state-by-state landscape of opioid dependence

Today FAIR Health released the Opioid Tracker, a free, interactive tool tracking opioid abuse and dependence state by state. A brief released simultaneously offers a user's guide to the Opioid Tracker.

26 Sep 2024

Review reveals high rates of opioid dependence among chronic pain patients

A new scientific review of 148 studies enrolling over 4.3 million adult chronic pain patients treated with prescription opioid painkillers has found that nearly one in ten patients experiences opioid dependence or opioid use disorder and nearly one in three shows symptoms of dependence and opioid use disorder.

8 Aug 2024

Study finds early, unnecessary opioid prescriptions for teen surgery

A multi-institutional study found that 1 in 6 youths fill an opioid prescription prior to surgery, and 3% of patients were still filling opioid prescriptions three to six months after surgery, indicating persistent opioid use and possible opioid dependence.

12 Jul 2024