Fentanyl News and Research

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Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opiate analgesic similar to but more potent than morphine. It is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, or to manage pain after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat people with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to opiates. It is a schedule II prescription drug.

Study highlights risks of high-dose naloxone in opioid overdose response

Whether regular distribution of two intranasal or intramuscular administrations of low-dose naloxone was effective and adequate in reversing opioid overdoses.

4 Sep 2023

New antibody shows promise in reversing carfentanil overdoses

An antibody in single-chain fragment variable (scFv) format that binds to the powerful opioid carfentanil was shown to reverse signs of carfentanil overdose in preclinical tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

7 Aug 2023

The painful legacy of ‘law and order’ treatment of addiction in jail

Megan Dunn, who has struggled with addiction since her teens, points to the moment her life went "deeply downhill."

19 Jul 2023

Fentanyl overdose reversal: New hope on the horizon

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 100,000 Americans die each year from an overdose, most due to the use of synthetic opiates like fentanyl. While naloxone, currently the only an antidote for opiate overdose, has become more common, it is less effective against fentanyl-class synthetic opioids.

18 Jul 2023

Opioids linked to increased risk of death in older adults with dementia

The study population included everyone in Denmark aged 65 and older diagnosed with dementia between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2018 (n=75,471), including both home-living and nursing home residents. Of that group, 42% (31,619) of those diagnosed with dementia redeemed a prescription for an opioid at a pharmacy.

18 Jul 2023

The ethics of nanobiotechnology: A call for global regulation

Prosthetics moved by thoughts. Targeted treatments for aggressive brain cancer. Soldiers with enhanced vision or bionic ears.

13 Jul 2023

AMP releases consensus recommendations for CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 genotyping assays

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global molecular diagnostic professional society, today published consensus recommendations to aid in the design and validation of clinical CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 genotyping assays, promote standardization of testing across different laboratories, and improve patient care.

10 Jul 2023

Opioid overdose deaths may be reduced by increasing access to prescription opioid painkillers

Increasing access to prescription opioid painkillers may reduce opioid overdose deaths in the United States, according to a Rutgers study.

27 Jun 2023

Research unveils crucial insights into the brain's potential ability to regulate fentanyl consumption

The opioid crisis continues to pose a grave public health concern, with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl posing a major risk for development of addiction and death due to overdose.

26 Jun 2023

Race- and gender-specific interventions may be more effective at preventing overdose deaths

Interventions to address stimulant and opioid use that consider race and gender may prove more effective at preventing overdose deaths than current methods, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers who studied how drug treatment admissions and overdose deaths differed among race and gender.

26 Jun 2023

Study reveals wide discrepancies among U.S. states in treating opioid use disorder

Despite a national opioid overdose epidemic supercharged by a surge of illicit fentanyl, new research from Oregon Health & Science University reveals wide discrepancies among U.S. states in effectively treating opioid use disorder among people covered by Medicaid.

23 Jun 2023

Xylazine can exacerbate the life-threatening effects of opioids, rat study shows

A new study in rats suggests that xylazine, the active ingredient in a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use, can worsen the life-threatening effects of opioids.

21 Jun 2023

Opioid settlement payouts to localities made public for first time

Thousands of local governments nationwide are receiving settlement money from companies that made, sold, or distributed opioid painkillers, like Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, and Walmart.

16 Jun 2023

Overly restricting opioid use during surgery may be doing more harm than good

Because of the opioid crisis, physicians are less likely to administer opioids to help manage patients' pain, even in the operating room.

15 Jun 2023

Males are significantly more vulnerable than females to overdose deaths

Men were significantly more vulnerable than women to overdose deaths involving opioid and stimulant drugs in 2020-2021, according to a new study analyzing death records data from across the United States. The study found that men had a 2–3 times greater rate of overdose mortality from opioids (like fentanyl and heroin) and psychostimulants (like methamphetamine and cocaine).

15 Jun 2023

Study: Only 1 in 4 addiction treatment facilities caring for U.S. adolescents offer buprenorphine

Only 1 in 4 residential addiction treatment facilities caring for U.S. adolescents under 18 years old offer buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, according to a new study.

13 Jun 2023

Police drug seizures associated with increase in fatal overdoses

For decades, efforts by police to seize illicit drugs have been a cornerstone strategy for disrupting drug markets and removing drugs from communities. But there's an unintended outcome when opioids are seized, a new study finds -; increases in overdoses, including those that are fatal.

12 Jun 2023