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.

Alkermes initiates ALKS 37 phase 2b study in opioid-induced constipation

Alkermes plc today announced the initiation of a phase 2b study of ALKS 37, an orally active, peripherally restricted opioid antagonist for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.

3 Oct 2011

Pacira announces data from EXPAREL clinical study presented at ASPS 2011 meeting

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the company's lead investigational product for postsurgical pain management, EXPAREL, was highlighted in the "Hot Topics in Plastic Surgery" panel at the annual scientific assembly of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in Denver, Colo.

26 Sep 2011

Ibandronate controls pain in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases

Many prostate cancer patients develop bone metastases, and controlling the pain these cause can be difficult. Now the first large randomised Phase III trial of a bisphosphonate drug in these patients has shown that a single dose of the drug is as good for pain relief as single dose radiotherapy, the standard treatment for bone metastases. Results of the trial were presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress.

26 Sep 2011

The Journal of Pain publishes results from Butrans Transdermal System Phase 3 clinical study

Butrans (Buprenorphine) Transdermal System CIII 20 mcg/hour provided significantly lower "average pain over the last 24 hours" scores compared to Butrans 5 mcg/hour when used in opioid-experienced patients with moderate-to-severe chronic low back pain, according to a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study published in the online, August issue of The Journal of Pain.

26 Sep 2011

Study: Opioid drugs can increase risk of pneumonia in older adults

Opioids -- a class of medicines commonly given for pain -- were associated with a higher risk of pneumonia in a study of 3,061 adults, aged 65 to 94, e-published in advance of publication in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

23 Sep 2011

Multimodal analgesia important for effective control of pain

Efforts to effectively control pain in hospitalized patients with opioid (narcotic) analgesics can lead to unintentional sedation and respiratory depression, which are serious adverse events affecting the quality of recovery for patients.

20 Sep 2011

Study finds no clear advantage of ultrasound guidance for pain relief in nerve block procedures

Using ultrasound to guide the performance of nerve blocks—in which anesthetics are directly targeted to a specific nerve or group of nerves—has contributed to the increased use of regional anesthesia.

17 Sep 2011

Study shows increase in pediatric medication poisoning

The number of young children admitted to hospitals or seen in emergency departments because they unintentionally took a potentially toxic dose of medication has risen dramatically in recent years, according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study.

16 Sep 2011

P3 survey: 44% of U.S. patients receive inadequate relief of moderate-to-severe acute pain

A new survey shows almost half (44%) of U.S. patients in outpatient settings received potentially inadequate relief of moderate-to-severe acute pain.

15 Sep 2011

Leading cancer journals publish OncoGenex's custirsen pre-clinical and Phase II study data

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that data from two studies, a Phase II clinical study and a pre-clinical study, evaluating the investigational compound custirsen, were published in the September issues of the journals Clinical Cancer Research and Cancer Research.

7 Sep 2011

Positive results from BDSI's BEMA Buprenorphine/Naloxone formulation Phase 1 study on opioid dependence

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. announced positive preliminary results from its Phase 1 study assessing the pharmacokinetics of a BEMA Buprenorphine/Naloxone formulation.

6 Sep 2011

Researchers discover mechanism of low-dose LDN on cell proliferative-related disorders

Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania have discovered the mechanism by which a low dose of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (LDN), an agent used clinically to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases, exerts a profound inhibitory effect on cell proliferation.

3 Sep 2011

FDA accepts Salix and Progenics' sNDA filing for RELISTOR to treat opioid-induced constipation

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for RELISTOR Subcutaneous Injection to treat opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with non-cancer pain.

30 Aug 2011

Webinar on Prescription Drug Abuse in Workers' Comp

Joseph Paduda, principal of Health Strategy Associates, will present "Prescription Drug Abuse in Workers' Comp," an hour-long webinar on Thursday, Sept. 1, starting 1 p.m. (PDT)/ 4 p.m. EDT.

25 Aug 2011

New Pressurized Olfactory Device shows direct CNS effect of morphine

A simple new approach to nasal drug administration may allow morphine and other strong pain medications to be targeted directly to the central nervous system (CNS), reports an experimental study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Aug 2011

Dissimilar interaction of opioid receptors may explain why men, women experience pain differently

Women and men experience pain, particularly chronic pain, very differently. The ability of some opioids to relieve pain also differs between women and men. While it has been recognized since the mid-nineties that some narcotic analgesics are more effective in women than men, the reason for this difference was largely unknown.

19 Aug 2011

SAMHSA-funded project to develop a Prescriber's Clinical Support System

Medical professionals will gain access to free clinical support in the use of opioid medications through a new grant announced by SAMHSA today. SAMHSA awarded $1.5 million to the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry to develop a Prescriber's Clinical Support System.

18 Aug 2011

Pacira second quarter total revenues increase to $3.6 million

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2011, provided an update on the execution of its pre-commercial and launch strategies for EXPAREL, and updated its 2011 financial guidance.

11 Aug 2011

Positive results from two ADL5945 Phase 2 studies for opioid-induced constipation

Adolor Corporation today announced positive, statistically significant top line results from its two Phase 2 studies of ADL5945 in chronic non-cancer pain patients with opioid-induced constipation.

11 Aug 2011

Health Affairs report describes ground-breaking effort that aims to prevent opioid abuse

Fatal overdoses involving prescribed opioids tripled in the United States between 1999 and 2006, climbing to almost 14,000 deaths annually-more than cocaine and heroin overdoses combined. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits related to prescription opioid pain medicines such as oxycodone and hydrocodone also increased dramatically in the same period.

5 Aug 2011

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Alkermes initiates ALKS 37 phase 2b study in opioid-induced constipation

Pacira announces data from EXPAREL clinical study presented at ASPS 2011 meeting

Ibandronate controls pain in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases

The Journal of Pain publishes results from Butrans Transdermal System Phase 3 clinical study

Study: Opioid drugs can increase risk of pneumonia in older adults

Multimodal analgesia important for effective control of pain

Study finds no clear advantage of ultrasound guidance for pain relief in nerve block procedures

Study shows increase in pediatric medication poisoning

P3 survey: 44% of U.S. patients receive inadequate relief of moderate-to-severe acute pain

Leading cancer journals publish OncoGenex's custirsen pre-clinical and Phase II study data

Positive results from BDSI's BEMA Buprenorphine/Naloxone formulation Phase 1 study on opioid dependence

Researchers discover mechanism of low-dose LDN on cell proliferative-related disorders

FDA accepts Salix and Progenics' sNDA filing for RELISTOR to treat opioid-induced constipation

Webinar on Prescription Drug Abuse in Workers' Comp

New Pressurized Olfactory Device shows direct CNS effect of morphine

Dissimilar interaction of opioid receptors may explain why men, women experience pain differently

SAMHSA-funded project to develop a Prescriber's Clinical Support System

Pacira second quarter total revenues increase to $3.6 million

Positive results from two ADL5945 Phase 2 studies for opioid-induced constipation

Health Affairs report describes ground-breaking effort that aims to prevent opioid abuse

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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