An experimental drug developed at Duke University School of Medicine, North Carolina, could offer powerful pain relief without the dangerous side effects of opioids.
The drug, called SBI-810, worked well on its own but also in combination with opioids, making them more effective at lower doses, the study on mice showed. Furthermore, it did not cause common side effects such as constipation nor the build-up of tolerance, a frequent weakness of opioid treatment.
SBI-810 is part of a new generation of compounds designed to target the brain receptor neurotensin receptor 1. While opioids flood multiple cellular pathways indiscriminately, SBI-810 takes a more focused approach, activating only a specific pain-relief pathway that avoids the “high” associated with opioid addiction.
SBI-810 is in early development, but Duke researchers are aiming for human trials soon.