Morphine News and Research

Latest Morphine News and Research

Oklahoma’s ‘precedent-setting’ suit puts opioid drugmakers on trial

All eyes will be on Oklahoma this week when the first case in a flood of litigation against opioid drug manufacturers begins Tuesday.

28 May 2019

New opioid accelerates recovery and prevents relapse to chronic pain

Morphine and other opioid-based painkillers are very effective at treating pain initially, but studies have shown that the drugs can make patients more pain-sensitive, prolonging their discomfort and increasing their risks of developing chronic pain.

22 May 2019

Opioid prescriptions drop sharply among state workers

The agency that manages health care for California's massive state workforce is reporting a major reduction in opioid prescriptions, reflecting a national trend of physicians cutting back on the addictive drugs.

21 May 2019

GPs must be better-equipped to tackle chronic opioid use

GPs must be better-equipped to support patients to manage the psychological challenge of reducing their opioid use - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

13 May 2019

New quality improvement tool shows signs of improved care of opioid-exposed newborns

A new quality improvement tool called Eat, Sleep and Console shows consistent signs of improved care of opioid-exposed newborns in neonatal intensive care units.

27 Apr 2019

FDA grants approval of first generic naloxone nasal spray to treat opioid overdose

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted final approval of the first generic naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, commonly known as Narcan, a life-saving medication that can stop or reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

22 Apr 2019

New series offers global evidence detailing role of surgery in the opioids crisis

Targets to eliminate pain after surgery have driven increases in the use of opioids, and are a major cause of the opioid crisis in the USA, Canada and other countries.

12 Apr 2019

Sleep disruption leads to negativity bias, study shows

A sleepless night not only leaves us fatigued and distracted, it also makes us interpret things more negatively and makes us more likely to lose our temper.

8 Apr 2019

UMN study shows impact of opioids on pain and survival in sickle cell disease

New UMN research recently published Blood Advances, Kalpna Gupta, PhD, Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, demonstrates the impact of opioids on the survival of humanized mouse models with sickle cell disease, compared to normal mice.

3 Apr 2019

People with treatment-resistant depression at higher risk of developing substance use syndrome

People suffering from treatment resistant depression are at a higher risk of developing substance use disorders than other patients with depression, reports a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal Addiction.

2 Apr 2019

Single dose long lasting opioid antidote on the horizon

Recent reports have shown a 1,000 percent rise in opioid abuse (especially synthetic drug Fentanyl) in the United States over the past one decade. In 2017 for example there have been 47,000 deaths attributed to opioid overdose says the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

31 Mar 2019

Researchers describe mathematical model as key to developing effective drugs for brain disorders

A collaboration between researchers from the UAB Institute of Neurosciences and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, published in March in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, describes a mathematical model to quantify the activity of biased G-protein-coupled receptors.

28 Mar 2019

US opioid prescriptions drop by a half but it’s not all good news

The number of opioid prescriptions issued each month in the US dropped to less than a half. However, experts remain concerned about the number of high-risk prescriptions.

15 Mar 2019

Blunting emotional component associated with pain

Chronic pain involves more than just hurting. People suffering from pain often experience sadness, depression and lethargy. That's one reason opioids can be so addictive -- they not only dampen the pain but also make people feel euphoric.

13 Mar 2019

Minimally invasive procedure helps surgeons to pinpoint epilepsy patients for brain surgery

A minimally invasive procedure to determine whether patients with drug-resistant epilepsy are candidates for brain surgery is safer, more efficient, and leads to better outcomes than the traditional method, according to new research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

8 Mar 2019

Researchers find potential new target for chronic pain treatment

A research group at Hiroshima University observed a potential new target for chronic pain treatment. Further research using this receptor could lead to new, more effective drugs to use in pain-relieving treatment for chronic pain.

7 Mar 2019

More states say doctors must offer overdose reversal drug along with opioids

In a growing number of states, patients who get opioids for serious pain may leave their doctors' offices with a second prescription — for naloxone, a drug that can save their lives if they overdose on the powerful painkillers.

21 Feb 2019

Once-a-day capsule offers new way to reduce symptoms of chronic breathlessness

More than 70,000 Australians who suffer from chronic breathlessness will now have access to life-changing medication to manage their symptoms.

19 Feb 2019

What ‘dope sick’ really feels like

Detoxing off heroin or opioids without medication is sheer hell. I should know. For many users, full-blown withdrawal is often foreshadowed by a yawn, or perhaps a runny nose, a sore back, sensitive skin or a restless leg. For me, the telltale sign that the heroin was wearing off was a slight tingling sensation when I urinated.

8 Feb 2019

New research reveals that prescription opioids are used long-term to treat severe osteoarthritis

New research published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology, reveals that prescription opioids are commonly used long-term to treat pain in older patients with severe osteoarthritis.

28 Jan 2019