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.

Study: Brain circuits may influence binge eating

Scientists led a rat to the fatty food, but they couldn't make it eat. Using an animal model of binge eating, University of Missouri researchers discovered that deactivating the basolateral amygdala, a brain region involved in regulating emotion, specifically blocked consumption of a fatty diet. Surprisingly, it had no effect on the rat wanting to look for the food repeatedly.

9 Sep 2009

First results of European survey of cancer patients' experience of breakthrough pain presented at EFIC

The first results of the first European survey of cancer patients' experience of breakthrough pain were presented today at the 6th congress of the European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (EFIC).

9 Sep 2009

MRF announces winners of six 2009 research grants

The Migraine Research Foundation (MRF), the only nonprofit organization devoted solely to funding migraine research, today announced the winners of the 2009 research grants. This year's grantees will explore such important areas as pediatric migraine, the genetic association between migraine and cardiovascular events, and why opioids enhance migraine pain.

5 Sep 2009

Rutgers University Professor receives $3.5 million MERIT Award from NIH

Rutgers University Professor Dipak Sarkar has received a $3.5 million MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue researching the damaging effects of alcohol on the nervous systems of the unborn.

27 Aug 2009

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals posts $9.8 million revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2009

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: CPIX), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the hospital acute care and gastroenterology markets, today announced second quarter 2009 financial results.

27 Aug 2009

Study confirms inappropriate use of pain medication among the chronic pain population

A study published in the August issue of the peer-reviewed journal Population Health Management revealed that the majority of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain were unlikely to be taking their medicine in a manner consistent with their prescribed regimen. In the study, titled "Inappropriate Drug Use in the Chronic Pain Population," 938,586 urine toxicology tests conducted on over 500,000 patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy were analyzed using proprietary and state of the art screening methods offered by Ameritox(R).

27 Aug 2009

QRxPharma completes its pilot evaluation study investigating the efficacy of MoxDuo capsules

QRxPharma Limited and announced today successful completion of its pilot study to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety profile of MoxDuo(TM) IR (immediate release) capsules in patients with moderate to severe pain following total knee replacement surgery.

27 Aug 2009

Medication safety program on safe prescribing procedures for narcotic drugs launched

Warnings by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and increasing misuse and overdoses are telling reminders of the dangers pain medications can present. A recent study reveals that one in 10 high school students have tried opioid drugs and the prevalence of young adults using narcotics for non-medical use is the highest in 15 years.

20 Aug 2009

Watson recalls one lot of Fentanyl transdermal system

Watson Pharmaceuticals has announced that one lot of 100 mcg/hr Fentanyl Transdermal System patches sold in the United States is being voluntarily recalled from wholesalers and pharmacies.

9 Aug 2009

Orexo: Abstral NDA submitted to U.S. FDA

Orexo AB has announced that its partner, UK-based international specialty pharmaceutical company ProStrakan Group plc, has submitted the New Drug Application (NDA) for Abstral™ (for the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain in opioid-tolerant patients) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

6 Aug 2009

Compound from coral offers hope fpr neuropathic pain

A compound initially isolated from a soft coral (Capnella imbricata) collected at Green Island off Taiwan, could lead scientists to develop a new set of treatments for neuropathic pain - chronic pain that sometimes follows damage to the nervous system.

4 Aug 2009

Accidental childhood poisonings mostly due to medicines

More than two-thirds of all emergency department visits for childhood poisoning involve prescription and over-the-counter medications, more than twice the rate of poisonings from consumer products, reports a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

4 Aug 2009

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia reduces dose needed during labor

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia during labor can reduce the amount of anesthetic drug required, while avoiding potential complications caused by morphine-like "opioid" drugs, according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

27 Jul 2009

FDA approves Onsolis pain reliever for cancer patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Onsolis, medication intended for certain patients with cancer to help manage breakthrough pain – severe flares of pain that break through regular pain medication.

16 Jul 2009

Review of addiction to prescription painkillers

Chemical dependency and recovery in patients and physicians are closely examined in a series of articles and editorials in the July 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The subject is especially timely. As the immense challenges, including potential tragedies, of prescription chemical addiction and abuse are being discussed, these articles offer crucial overview, direction and optimism.

7 Jul 2009

Double the number of Australians now being treated for heroin addiction

The latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows in the last decade the number of Australians being treated for heroin, or other opioid, addiction has almost doubled.

22 May 2009

Study offers new insights into morphine-induced tolerance and increased pain sensitivity

A study published in the June issue of Anesthesiology has shown that a drug metabolite of the opioid morphine may be a key factor in the paradoxical increased sensitivity to pain caused by chronic morphine use. For the first time, this metabolite (called morphine-6 glucuronide, or M6G) was shown to act independently of the pain receptors typically targeted during morphine administration.

21 May 2009

Study findings have implications for development of pain-relieving drugs

Morphine and other opioids are widely used to treat both acute and chronic pain – yet their benefits are often limited because some people experience side effects or do not respond to them efficiently.

21 Apr 2009

FDA acts to avoid shortage of medically necessary opioid

The U.S Food and Drug Administration today amended its March 30, 2009, action warning manufacturers to stop the production and distribution of certain unapproved prescription opioids, to allow the continued marketing and distribution of one particular type of opioid -- a high concentrate morphine sulfate oral solution -- on an interim basis.

12 Apr 2009

Managing pain in the ICU

Managing pain in the ICU is an ongoing and significant challenge for the critical care team.

8 Apr 2009

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Study: Brain circuits may influence binge eating

First results of European survey of cancer patients' experience of breakthrough pain presented at EFIC

MRF announces winners of six 2009 research grants

Rutgers University Professor receives $3.5 million MERIT Award from NIH

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals posts $9.8 million revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2009

Study confirms inappropriate use of pain medication among the chronic pain population

QRxPharma completes its pilot evaluation study investigating the efficacy of MoxDuo capsules

Medication safety program on safe prescribing procedures for narcotic drugs launched

Watson recalls one lot of Fentanyl transdermal system

Orexo: Abstral NDA submitted to U.S. FDA

Compound from coral offers hope fpr neuropathic pain

Accidental childhood poisonings mostly due to medicines

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia reduces dose needed during labor

FDA approves Onsolis pain reliever for cancer patients

Review of addiction to prescription painkillers

Double the number of Australians now being treated for heroin addiction

Study offers new insights into morphine-induced tolerance and increased pain sensitivity

Study findings have implications for development of pain-relieving drugs

FDA acts to avoid shortage of medically necessary opioid

Managing pain in the ICU

Exploring the intersection of biology and proteomics

Unlocking the Secrets of Multiple Sclerosis Progression: Brain-Immune Cell Communication

Passing on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Health risks for male offspring of women with PCOS

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