A study shows a non-opioid pain reliever blocks pain at its source -- calming specific nerve signals that send pain messages to the brain. In mice, the compound SBI-810 eased pain from surgery, bone fractures, and nerve injury without causing sedation or constipation.
A study shows a non-opioid pain reliever blocks
pain at its source -- calming specific nerve signals that send pain messages to
the brain. In mice, the compound SBI-810 eased pain from surgery, bone
fractures, and nerve injury without causing sedation or constipation.
The drug, called SBI-810, is part of a new
generation of compounds designed to target a receptor on the nerves and spinal
cord. While opioids flood multiple cellular pathways indiscriminately, SBI-810,
a non-opioid treatment, takes a more focused approach, activating only a
specific pain-relief pathway that avoids the euphoric "high" linked
to addiction.
In tests in mice, SBI-810 worked well on
its own and, when used in combination, made opioids more effective at lower
doses, according to the study published May 19 in Cell.
"What makes this compound exciting is
that it is both analgesic and non-opioid," said senior study author
Ru-Rong Ji, PhD, an anesthesiology and neurobiology researcher who directs the
Duke Anesthesiology Centre for Translational Pain Medicine.
Even more encouraging: it prevented common
side effects like constipation and buildup of tolerance, which often forces
patients to need stronger and more frequent doses of opioids over time.
SBI-810 is in early development, but Duke
researchers are aiming for human trials soon and they've locked in multiple
patents for the discovery.
There's an urgent need for pain relief
alternatives. Drug overdose deaths are declining, but more than 80,000
Americans still die each year, most often from opioids. Meanwhile, chronic pain
affects one-third of the U.S. population.
Researchers said the drug could be a safer
option for treating both short-term and chronic pain for those recovering from
surgery or living with diabetic nerve pain. (ANI)
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