Morphine News and Research

Latest Morphine News and Research

Nektar presents NKTR-181 preclinical data at ASA 2010 Annual Meeting

Nektar Therapeutics today presented new preclinical data demonstrating that NKTR-181, a mu-opioid analgesic with a novel molecular structure, dramatically reduces abuse liability while providing analgesia comparable to oxycodone and morphine.

18 Oct 2010

FDA approves Vivitrol for treatment of opioid-dependent patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Vivitrol to treat and prevent relapse after patients with opioid dependence have undergone detoxification treatment.

13 Oct 2010

Abiraterone Phase III clinical data to be presented at ESMO meeting

Attendees at next week's European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting in Milan will be presented with top-line Phase III Clinical Trials data on Abiraterone in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

8 Oct 2010

Semi-synthetic opioid may improve withdrawal symptoms in infants

Thousands of infants each year have exposure to opioids before they are born. Over half of these infants are born with withdrawal symptoms severe enough to require opioid replacement treatment in the nursery. Such treatment is associated with long hospital stays which interferes with maternal/infant bonding. Now, a team of researchers at Thomas Jefferson University has tested a semi-synthetic opioid they say has the potential to improve the treatment of these newborns, which could save hundreds of millions in healthcare costs annually if future tests continue to show benefit.

7 Oct 2010

Repinotan blocks respiratory depressant effects of morphine without altering pain-relieving effects

A new drug called repinotan blocks the respiratory depressant effects of morphine-like opioid drugs—without altering their potent pain-relieving effects, according to a study in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

6 Oct 2010

QRxPharma's A$14 million Placement oversubscribed

QRxPharma Limited has today announced a Placement which raised A$14 million and which was significantly oversubscribed.

1 Oct 2010

L'Albufera Natural Park's irrigation channels contain cocaine, ecstasy

The water in the canals and irrigation channels in the L'Albufera Natural Park in Valencia contain cocaine, ecstasy and a further six drugs. This has been confirmed by a study carried out by researchers from the University of Valencia (UV), who have issued a warning about the continued presence of these substances on wildlife and human health.

24 Sep 2010

Advanced Targeting Systems receives NCI award to advance SP-SAP drug

Advanced Targeting Systems, the company that pioneered the targeting of specific cell types to manipulate them for the treatment of diseases and for research into the function of biological systems, has been awarded $3 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

24 Sep 2010

Kim Hames says case was not euthanasia

Western Australia has been debating euthanasia for a while and in a new development, Health Minister and Deputy Premier Kim Hames has admitted that as a GP he administered the painkiller morphine to hasten a cancer patient's death. He said in his statement that what he had done was legal and not euthanasia – which he opposed. His reasoning was that the pain relieving medication was intended to ease a patient's suffering rather than end their life.

23 Sep 2010

PNNL, 59th Medical Wing collaborate to improve drug tests for illicit usage

A new collaboration between the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Air Force's 59th Medical Wing hopes to improve on drug tests for illicit drug use and abuse. Not only are the researchers looking for a better indicator of current or past use, but they'd like to be able to identify people prone to abusing drugs in the first place.

18 Sep 2010

Opiate usage increases in workplace and ER

More American workers and job applicants are testing positive for prescription opiates, according to U.S. general workforce data in the 2009 annual Drug Testing Index™ (DTI) released today by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services. Results from more than 5.5 million urine drug tests reveal an 18 percent jump in opiate positives in the general U.S. workforce in a single year (2008 to 2009), and a more than 40 percent climb from 2005 to 2009.

17 Sep 2010

Diamyd Medical reports potential results on NP2 Phase I clinical trial for chronic pain

Diamyd Medical AB, to date no drug related Serious Adverse Events have been reported by any patient included in Diamyd's Phase I clinical trial investigating NP2 as a potential therapy for chronic pain. Based upon the Phase I findings to date, the company is planning a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase II clinical trial with NP2 in the United States.

13 Sep 2010

Researchers discover tolerance mechanism in chronic morphine treatment

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered a major mechanism underlying the development of tolerance to chronic morphine treatment. The discovery may help researchers find new therapies to treat chronic pain, and reduce tolerance and side effects associated with morphine use. The findings are published in the July 20th issue of Science Signaling.

8 Sep 2010

Studies show diagnostic errors cause adverse events than medication errors

Studies show that diagnostic errors cause twice as many adverse events as medication errors, but the subject has received little attention; Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority reviews 100 events related to diagnostic error.

3 Sep 2010

QRxPharma announces interim analysis of MoxDuo IR clinical program

QRxPharma announced today a successful interim analysis of its final MoxDuo IR pivotal Phase 3 study required for New Drug Application (NDA) submission.

2 Sep 2010

Study: IV ibuprofen decreases pain, morphine use in pre and post-operative orthopedic surgery patients

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the publication of new data supporting the safety and efficacy of Caldolor® (ibuprofen) Injection in pre and post-operative orthopedic surgery patients. The study, which was published in the August edition of the peer-reviewed journal Pain Medicine, concludes that IV ibuprofen significantly decreased pain and morphine use when compared with placebo.

31 Aug 2010

Prescription opioids can be gate way to illicit drug addiction: Study

Thirty-one of 75 patients hospitalized for opioid detoxification told University at Buffalo physicians they first got hooked on drugs legitimately prescribed for pain. Another 24 began with a friend's left-over prescription pills or pilfered from a parent's medicine cabinet. The remaining 20 patients said they got hooked on street drugs.

21 Aug 2010

Pisgah Labs receives Notice of Allowance for new patent relating to thyroid hormone drugs

Today, Pisgah Labs, Inc. received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark office for an important new technology patent addressing global stability problems of thyroid hormone drugs.

17 Aug 2010

Endo to acquire Penwest for $5.00 per share

Endo Pharmaceuticals today announced actions designed to advance the company's leadership and growth in pain management, including an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Penwest Pharmaceuticals for $5.00 in cash per share, or an estimated enterprise value of approximately $144 million at the time of deal close. Penwest has been working with Endo since 1997 on the development and commercialization of OPANA® ER and receives a royalty stream on net sales of the product.

10 Aug 2010

Morphine plus oxycodone IV combination exhibits improved analgesia, tolerability compared to IV morphine

QRxPharma Limited announced today positive results of its Phase 2 comparative proof-of-concept study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of its IV (intravenous) formulation of morphine plus oxycodone versus IV morphine alone for the treatment of moderate to severe post-operative pain in patients following hip replacement surgery. The main findings demonstrated that QRxPharma's formulation of MoxDuo IV resulted in fewer side effects and offered better pain relief than morphine alone.

9 Aug 2010