With the support of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine have been working to find a safe, non-addictive pain killer to help fight the current opioid crisis in this country.
And they may have done just that, though in an animal model.
Known as AT-121, the new chemical compound has dual therapeutic action that suppressed the addictive effects of opioids and produced morphine-like analgesic effects in non-human primates.
“In our study, we found AT-121 to be safe and non-addictive, as well as an effective pain medication,” said Mei-Chuan Ko, Ph.D., professor of physiology and pharmacology at the School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
“In addition, this compound also was effective at blocking abuse potential of prescription opioids, much like buprenorphine does for heroin, so we hope it could be used to treat pain and opioid abuse.”
The findings are published in the Aug. 29 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine.
The main objective of this study was to design and test a chemical compound that would work on both the mu opioid receptor, the main component in the most effective prescription pain killers, and the nociceptin receptor, which opposes or blocks the abuse and dependence-related side effects of mu-targeted opioids. Current opioid pain drugs, such as fentanyl and oxycodone, work only on the mu opioid receptor, which also produces unwanted side effects – respiratory depression, abuse potential, increased sensitivity to pain and physical dependence.
“We developed AT-121 that combines both activities in an appropriate balance in one single molecule, which we think is a better pharmaceutical strategy than to have two drugs to be used in combination,” Ko said.
In the study, the researchers observed that AT-121 showed the same level of pain relief as an opioid, but at a 100-times lower dose than morphine. At that dose, it also blunted the addictive effects of oxycodone, a commonly abused prescription drug.
The bifunctional profile of AT-121 not only gave effective pain relief without abuse potential, it also lacked other opioid side-effects that patients typically struggle with, such as itch, respiratory depression, tolerance and dependence.
“Our data shows that targeting the nociceptin opioid receptor not only dialed down the addictive and other side-effects, it provided effective pain relief,” Ko said. “The fact that this data was in nonhuman primates, a closely related species to humans, was also significant because it showed that compounds, such as AT-121, have the translational potential to be a viable opioid alternative or replacement for prescription opioids.”
Next steps include conducting additional preclinical studies to collect more safety data, and then if all goes well, applying to the Food and Drug Administration for approval to begin clinical trials in people, Ko said.
Learn more: Scientists Take Big Step Toward Finding Non-Addictive Pain Killer
The Latest on: Non-addictive pain killer
[google_news title=”” keyword=”non-addictive pain killer” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Non-addictive pain killer
- Surging Demand for Reactive Diluents Sparks Innovation Across Adhesive, Sealant, and Coating Sectorson May 9, 2024 at 8:27 am
Future Market Insights’ recent report on the reactive diluents market concludes that the market will cross the billion-dollar threshold in the next two years. Primarily used as viscosity regulators ...
- Finding Your Perfect Palette: Exploring Coatings Manufacturers and Organic Paint Colorson May 7, 2024 at 5:13 am
Introduction to Coatings Manufacturers and Organic Paint Colors; Choosing the right coating manufacturer and organic paint colours for your painting project can be a daunting task. With so many ...
- Mulching Head Teeth Guide: Materials, Production, And Quality Controlon May 7, 2024 at 3:30 am
Mulching heads are vital components of forestry and land clearing equipment, designed to shred vegetation into fine pa ...
- Global Bioactive Coating Devices Market Poised for Robust Growth, Reaching USD 695.13 Million by 2032on May 6, 2024 at 8:55 pm
The global bioactive coating devices market is set to witness substantial growth, according to a recent market analysis. The market, valued at USD 307.45 million in 2022, is projected to surge to USD ...
- Vorteq acquires California Division of Material Sciences Corp.on May 6, 2024 at 11:36 am
Vorteq Coil Finishers, a provider of coil coating services for steel and aluminum products, has acquired the California coil coating assets of Material Sciences ...
- Copper coating turns touchscreens into bacteria killerson May 2, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Well, help is on the way, in the form of a newly developed copper coating. While copper is known for its ability to kill bacteria on contact, it's also opaque and electrically conductive ...
- Wall Street Analysts Are Bullish on Top Materials Pickson May 2, 2024 at 4:42 am
There’s a lot to be optimistic about in the Materials sector as 3 analysts just weighed in on Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA – Research ...
- Siegwerk’s new coatings enable recyclable monomaterial pet food packagingon May 1, 2024 at 6:29 am
Printing ink and coatings leader Siegwerk has announced a breakthrough in sustainable pet food packaging. Partnering with printing machine manufacturer Windmöller & Hölscher and bag-making and machine ...
- A 'coat hanger' could unlock Mar-a-Lago storage room where Trump stored classified docs: Witnesson April 27, 2024 at 7:25 am
A coat hanger or "very tiny screwdriver" could be used to unlock the Mar-a-Lago storage room where former President Donald Trump stored highly classified documents for more than a year, according to a ...
- Pipe Coating Materials Market Size to Worth $15.3 Billion by 2032 | CAGR: 4.3%: AMRon April 26, 2024 at 7:16 am
Pipe coating materials play a vital role in protecting pipelines from corrosion caused by environmental factors, chemicals, and abrasion. With growing awareness about the importance of corrosion ...
via Bing News