Non-Habit Forming Painkiller May Soon Hit The Market

Researchers at Stony Brook University have developed a powerful new painkiller that is said to possess no apparent side effects or addictive qualities could be available for purchase within the next year or two. At present, this miracle drug is in Phase II clinical trials in England and Canada.

A painkiller or analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain. The term analgesic is derived from Greek “an”, meaning without, and “algos”, meaning pain. These drugs include paracetamol (better known as acetaminophen), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioids such as morphine and opium. Commonly prescribed painkillers include OxyContin, Vicodin, Methadone, Darvocet, Lortab, Lorcet and Percocet, all of which cause dependence.

During the ‘90s, Dr. Simon Halegoua, Professor of Neurobiology & Behavior at Stony Brook and fellow Stony Brook professors Dr. Gail Mandel and Dr. Paul Brehm joined forces to uncover the sodium ion channel, PN1/Nav 1.7, which is involved pain transmission. They predicted that a medication aimed at blocking this specific channel will be capable of controlling pain.

“When a patient is given an opiate like morphine, pain signals are still transmitted from sensory nerves to the central nervous system. Morphine action throughout the brain reduces and alters pain perception, but it also impairs judgement and results in drug dependence,” explains Halegoua, also director of the Center for Nervous System Disorders at Stony Brook University. “With drugs targeting the PN1/Nav1.7 sodium ion channel, the pain signals would not be transmitted, even by the sensory nerves. And since the central nervous system is taken out of the equation, there would be no side effects and no addictive qualities.”

Relief may be on the horizon, not only for patients suffering with cancer, arthritis, migraine headaches, muscle pain, pain from burns, and pain from other debilitating diseases, but also for those that may be battling addiction as a result of their pain management treatment.

Commonly Prescribed Painkillers:

Oxycodone

Brand Names

Street Names

Hydrocodone
Brand Names: Anexisa, Dicodid, Hycodan, Hycomine, Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, Tussionex, Vicodin
Street Names: pain killer, vikes, hydros

Propoxyphene
Brand Name: Darvon
Street Names: pinks, footballs, pink footballs, 65’s, Ns

Hydromorphone
Brand Name: Dilaudid
Street Names: juice, dillies, drug street heroin

Meperidine
Brand Name: Demerol
Street Names: demmies, pain killer

Some facts and figures:

In 2005, roughly 4.7 million people in the US used prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons.
In 2006, roughly 5.2 million people in the US used prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons, which is nearly twice the estimated number of cocaine users nationwide.
In 2007, 2.5 million Americans abused prescription drugs for the first time, compared to 2.1 million who used marijuana for the first time.
In 2007, nearly 1 in 5 teens, or 4.5 million kids age 12-19, reportedly abused prescription medications to get high.
1 in 10 US high school seniors admit to abusing prescription painkillers.
Almost 50{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d} of teens believe that taking prescription drugs is much safer than using illegal street drugs.
Misuse of painkillers represents 3/4 of the overall prescription drug abuse problem.
Hydrocodone is the most commonly abused controlled pharmaceutical in the US.
In 2007, methadone was found to the cause 785 deaths in Florida alone.
Tens of thousands of people are said to be dependent on painkillers, such as Solpadeine and Neurofen Plus, in the UK.
Doctors and rehabilitation therapists report that prescription painkiller abuse is one of the most difficult addictions to treat.

A few signs that may suggest painkiller dependency…

Powerful New Painkiller With No Apparent Side Effects or Addictive Qualities, May Be Ready in a Year
Analgesic
Foundation For A Drug-Free World
A Familiar Fiend: Painkiller Addiction