Mass. Researchers May Be On Brink Of Creating Revolutionary, Non-Addictive Painkiller

CAMBRIDGE (CBS NEWS) — Researchers in Massachusetts believe they may be on the brink of creating a revolutionary non-addictive painkiller. Developed by Blue Therapeutics, Blue-181 could be a big step forward in dealing with the growing opioid crisis. The team there said it wanted to make a drug that is a total replacement for the opioids currently on the market – something that people could safely stop using without the possible dangerous side effects. Mark Loccisano felt a gratification from painkillers with his very first pill. They were prescribed by a doctor for a sports injury. It was the beginning of an opioid addiction that consumed his 20s and nearly cost him his life, reports CBS News’ Kenneth Craig. “Not many people know they’re addicts until they start using,” Loccisano said. “I ended up wrapping my work truck around a telephone pole one night, on my way home from work….And that wasn’t even enough for me to stay clean.” Loccisano is now in treatment at St. Christopher’s Inn, which is run by a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement in Garrison, New York. He’s part of a staggering number of Americans swept up in the nation’s opioid epidemic. But now, three Harvard-trained scientists believe they’ve developed a breakthrough: a non-narcotic, non-addictive painkiller 50 times more powerful than morphine. “We were told the same thing about the painkillers currently on the market...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Boston News Health Cambridge Local TV opioid crisis Source Type: news