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A study has shown that unlike opioids like morphine, the experimental painkiller does not cause tolerance, meaning you don’t have to ramp up doses to gain the same effect.
A study has shown that unlike opioids like morphine, the experimental painkiller does not cause tolerance, meaning you don’t have to ramp up doses to gain the same effect.
What is happening?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Precentions (CDC), approx. 82,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the U.S. in 2022.
The risks of opioids
According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, opioids are a class of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic drugs.
They are addictive, and repeated use can cause brain changes that motivate users to continue using them.
Opioids can also lead to dependence, meaning a persons body cannot function normally without taking the drugs.
Alternatives needed
An estimated two million people in the U.S. is suffering from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) according to MedlinePlus, meaning alternative painkillers are needed in order to reduce the opioid epidemic.
And a new experimental painkiller might be just that.
Powerful without the danger
An experimental drug developed at Duke University School of Medicine could offer powerful painrelief without the dangerous side effects of opioids, a study shows.
A new generation of painkillers
The drug is called SBI-810 and is designed to target a receptor on the nerves and spinal cord, meaning it takes a more focused approached compared to opioids, which flood multiple cellular pathways.
Promising results
Some of the most exiting results of the study done in mice showed that the drug prevented common side effects like buildup to tolerance and constipation.
Early development, but …
The drug is still in early development, but the researchers at Duke are aiming for human trials being started soon.