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.

Pediatric pain still common in hospitals

Despite advances in the understanding and treatment of pediatric pain, many hospitalized children continue to experience serious pain, according to a Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study published online ahead of print in the journal Pain Management Nursing.

2 Jul 2012

Millennium introduces novel pharmacogenetic testing

Millennium Laboratories, the leading research-based clinical diagnostic company dedicated to improving the lives of people suffering from pain, announced today the introduction of Millennium Pharmacogenetic Testing.

29 Jun 2012

Early pain relief surgery improves long-term chronic pancreatitis outcomes

Surgery for pain relief in chronic pancreatitis should be considered at an earlier stage than current practice, suggest the results of a Dutch study.

28 Jun 2012

Pfizer receives FDA approval for Lyrica to manage neuropathic pain associated with SCI

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Lyrica (pregabalin) capsules CV for the management of neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury.

22 Jun 2012

Genetics play a significant role in determining side effects of opiates

Genetics play a significant role in determining which patients will suffer the most from the disturbing side effects of opiates, commonly prescribed painkillers for severe to moderate pain, according to a new Stanford University School of Medicine study, which pinpoints nausea, slowed breathing and potential for addiction as heritable traits.

21 Jun 2012

Multi-modal approach reduces pain and side effects of medication following joint replacement surgery

Reducing acute post-surgical pain and side effects of medications for patients undergoing knee and hip replacement surgery is the focus of a new multi-modal approach at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut.

19 Jun 2012

Take home MMT may reduce hospital admissions

A recent study conducted by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) shows that patients receiving "take home" methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) were less likely to be admitted to the hospital as compared to those not receiving take home doses.

15 Jun 2012

RGS proteins play an essential role in night blindness

In a pair of related studies, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified several proteins that help regulate cells' response to light-and the development of night blindness, a rare disease that abolishes the ability to see in dim light.

12 Jun 2012

Positive results from Cara’s CR845 Phase II study on acute post-operative pain

Cara Therapeutics, Inc. today announced positive results from a Phase II study for the treatment of acute post-operative pain with its novel, peptide-based, peripherally-acting kappa opioid agonist, CR845.

11 Jun 2012

Adolescent mental disorders have repercussions for addiction

Adolescents with mental health disorders are significantly more likely to become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers than those without mental disorders, experts say.

8 Jun 2012

Young adults, adolescents with mental health disorders more likely to become long-term opioid users

Long-term use and abuse of opioid painkillers, such as OxyContin and Vicodin, has markedly increased in the United States in the last two decades. Of note, prescription opioids constitute 86.9 percent of prescription drug misuse among high school students. And last week in a two-day U.S. Food and Drug Administration public meeting, officials questioned the use of long-term opioids for chronic pain due to a lack of evidence for the effectiveness and concerns about the potential risk for addiction.

7 Jun 2012

NTNU’s EIR software to be showcased at 7th World Research Congress of the EAPC

What happens when doctors cannot cure a disease? What is the best way to make patients comfortable and have the best quality of life possible in the time they have left? Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have developed software that can be used with an iPad or other tablet to help record patient pain levels to help doctors in developing further treatment.

6 Jun 2012

Cannabinoid therapy helps provide effective analgesia for cancer patients with pain

An investigational cannabinoid therapy helped provide effective analgesia when used as an adjuvant medication for cancer patients with pain that responded poorly to opioids, according to results of a multicenter trial reported in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society.

5 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 4, 2012

Today's headlines include the latest news on implementation of the health law, on the pending Capitol Hill effort to repeal the medical device tax and reports from the states.

4 Jun 2012

Fall prevention needed in multiple sclerosis patients

Patients with multiple sclerosis are at increased risk for fractures, particularly those related to falls, a study shows.

31 May 2012

Alpha-2 agonists decrease postoperative consumption of opioid drugs

A study from researchers at Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland, provides evidence that use of alpha-2 agonists alongside opioids in surgical patients decreased opioid use by 25-30 percent. Even though opioid use was less, these patients reported slightly less pain after surgery.

25 May 2012

New BAP guidelines target treatment of substance abuse, addiction

The British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) has released fresh guidelines on the best methods to treat substance abuse and addiction in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, published by SAGE.

23 May 2012

Data from Purdue Pharma’s Butrans clinical trials to be presented at APS annual meeting

Purdue Pharma L.P. will present an analysis of data from completed clinical trials for Butrans® (buprenorphine) Transdermal System CIII at the American Pain Society's (APS) 31st Annual Scientific Meeting.

19 May 2012

Two major reasons to monitor medication use in older patients with chronic pain

Ameritox, the nation's leader in pain medication monitoring, announced today the presentation of a peer-reviewed scientific poster titled "Patterns of Drug Use in the Older Chronic Pain Population" at the American Pain Society Annual Meeting.

18 May 2012

Migraine is a neurological, not vascular, disorder

The latest genetic and biological research shows that migraine is a neurological, not vascular, disorder and both acute and preventive treatments being developed target peripheral and central nervous systems, according to a prominent migraine expert addressing the American Pain Society (APS)today.

18 May 2012