Japan's new painkiller could end opioid crisis
What's the story
A team of researchers from Kyoto University in Japan has developed a new painkiller that is as effective as fentanyl but without its addictive properties. The breakthrough could potentially change the course of the global opioid crisis, provided clinical trials are successful. The project has been ongoing for 13 years and has already seen success in phase one clinical trials.
Trial progress
Drug could be commercially available in 2 years
The second phase of clinical trials for the new painkiller is set to start soon. Masatoshi Hagiwara, a professor of pharmaceutical medicine at Kyoto University, hopes larger-scale clinical trials will be conducted in the US next year. He also expects that the drug could be commercially available in about two years.
Personal motivation
Personal motivation behind the breakthrough
Hagiwara's motivation for developing this new painkiller is deeply personal. His father, a doctor, died of gall bladder cancer about 20 years ago. While the cancer wasn't directly responsible for his death, it was the morphine-based painkillers he had to take that stopped his breathing, one of the common side effects of these drugs.
Drug benefits
New drug provides pain relief without side effects
The new drug developed by the Kyoto University team is capable of providing pain relief without the side effects typical of morphine-based painkillers. It even allows patients to stay fully conscious during treatment. One of the biggest advantages of this new painkiller is that it does not lead to dependence, a major problem associated with many existing opioid-based medications.