Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) have been hypothesized as potentially safer analgesics than traditional opioid drugs. This is based on the idea that PAMs will ...

Having a pill that alleviates chronic pain without adverse side effects or the risk of addiction remains an unmet pharmaceutical need for millions of people currently using traditional opioid drugs.

Sublocade (buprenorphine) is a brand-name subcutaneous injection prescribed for opioid use disorder. It works to help reduce the need for opioids by acting in certain areas of the brain called mu and ...

Distinct brain circuits drive two key components of addiction to the synthetic opioid drug fentanyl, according to a new finding published in Nature (2024, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07440-x). The ...

University of Florida scientists have helped identify a novel drug compound that selectively activates pain-altering receptors in the body, offering a potentially safer alternative to conventional ...

Ketamine use disorder is a serious and growing problem of increased non-prescribed ketamine use among young users, ages 16-30. Linda Cottler, Ph.D., and her fellow researchers at the University of ...