Morphine News and Research

Latest Morphine News and Research

New research shows effects of long-term use of opioid therapy

Half of patients on high-dose, long-term opioid therapy had hormonal disturbances or signs of inflammation, while 100 percent reported improved pain control and mental outlook, new research shows.

15 Apr 2013

Dexmedetomidine may be an effective treatment option for opioid-induced hyperalgesia

Surgical patients who demonstrated heightened pain sensitivity, or hyperalgesia, induced by high doses of a synthetic opioid had their symptoms alleviated by co-treatment with dexmedetomidine, according to new research. Study investigators, who presented their results today at the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, concluded that dexmedetomidine may be a new and effective treatment option for opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH).

12 Apr 2013

Junk food during pregnancy changes development of opioid signaling pathway in the baby's brain

Here's another reason why a healthy diet during pregnancy is critical to the future health of your children: New research published in the March 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal, suggests that pregnant mothers who consume junk food actually cause changes in the development of the opioid signaling pathway in the brains of their unborn children.

1 Mar 2013

Annual deaths related to heroin and morphine continue to drop in the UK

Annual deaths related to heroin and morphine are continuing to drop significantly, falling from 41 per cent of total drug-related deaths in the UK in 2010 to 32 per cent in 2011. Meanwhile, deaths from 'legal highs' - some of which have now been banned - remained steady following a large increase in the previous year.

28 Feb 2013

Anesthetics during breast cancer surgery may affect development of chronic pain

In women with breast cancer, the choice of anesthetic used for mastectomy may affect the risk of developing long-term pain after surgery, according to a study in the March issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

28 Feb 2013

Growth in opioid use prompts safety concerns

Prescriptions for opioid drugs have increased significantly in Germany over the past decade, a survey of insurance data has found.

20 Feb 2013

Scientists demonstrate new approach for quickly assembling drug-like compounds

A team of scientists anchored at Yale University has demonstrated a new, highly versatile approach for quickly assembling drug-like compounds, establishing a broad new route to drug discovery and medical treatment.

11 Feb 2013

Study: OEND effectively addresses epidemic of fatal opioid overdose

In a study of communities in Massachusetts with high numbers of opioid overdose deaths, the implementation of overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) was associated with a significant reduction in opioid overdose death rates.

2 Feb 2013

Itch-specific nerve cells: an interview with Associate Professor Xinzhong Dong

Itch was actually defined by a German physician more than 350 years ago. His name was Samuel Hafenreffer. He defined itch as an unpleasant sensation that makes people want to scratch. You probably think this is a very simple definition but itch is really a very complex sensory modality.

21 Jan 2013

QrxPharma to resubmit MOXDUO NDA with FDA

QRxPharma Limited announced today that the steps necessary for approval of immediate release MOXDUO have been clarified with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

17 Jan 2013

Morphine not first choice after neonatal surgery

Neonates and infants undergoing major surgery should be treated with postoperative intermittent intravenous acetaminophen as opposed to continuous morphine, research suggests.

14 Jan 2013

Researchers discover new pathway to reduce paradoxical pain

For individuals with agonizing pain, it is a cruel blow when the gold-standard medication actually causes more pain. Adults and children whose pain gets worse when treated with morphine may be closer to a solution, based on research published in the January 6 on-line edition of Nature Neuroscience.

7 Jan 2013

Itch-specific nerve cells in skin discovered by John Hopkins scientists

Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered strong evidence that mice have a specific set of nerve cells that signal itch but not pain, a finding that may settle a decades-long debate about these sensations, and, if confirmed in humans, help in developing treatments for chronic itch, including itch caused by life-saving medications.

3 Jan 2013

Electroconvulsive therapy releases opiate-like substances

Researchers used electricity on certain regions in the brain of a patient with chronic, severe facial pain to release an opiate-like substance that's considered one of the body's most powerful painkillers.

3 Jan 2013

Johns Hopkins scientists uncover itch-specific nerve cells in skin

3 Jan 2013

Study suggests genetic component in pain response among children

At least two common gene variants are linked to "clinically meaningful" differences in pain scores in children after major surgery, reports a study in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

25 Dec 2012

People with chronic shortness of breath may soon have new way to help alleviate their discomfort

People experiencing chronic shortness of breath may soon have a new way to help alleviate their discomfort, according to a Penn State College of Medicine pulmonology researcher.

20 Dec 2012

AcelRx announces top-line data from Sufentanil NanoTab PCA System Phase 3 trial

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of acute and breakthrough pain, today announced that top-line data from its previously announced open-label, active-comparator study of its lead product candidate, the Sufentanil NanoTab PCA System, will be featured in poster presentations to be held at the 66th annual New York State Society of Anesthesiologists PostGraduate Assembly meeting in New York City to be held December 14-18, 2012.

15 Dec 2012

Opioids already in the body can enhance malignant tendencies of human cancer cells

A study led by University of Chicago researcher Patrick A. Singleton, Ph.D. and published in the journal Anesthesiology has shown that, even without the addition of further opioids such as morphine, opioids already in the body can enhance the malignant tendencies of human cancer cells.

13 Dec 2012

Pain can be treated by targeting immune and nerve cells outside brain or spinal cord

The treatment of inflammatory pain can be improved by endogenous opioid peptides acting directly in injured tissue. Scientists at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Université Paris Descartes showed that pain can be successfully treated by targeting immune and nerve cells outside the brain or spinal cord.

3 Dec 2012