FOR LAWYERS

Opioid Researchers Seek Non-Pleasurable Alternatives

By
James Parker
/
September 24, 2021

Highly addictive opioid drugs have claimed over 125,000 lives since 2018. In an effort to mitigate pain without causing addiction, biochemists are pursuing an opioid formula that would be all business and no pleasure.

Dr. Tao Che, an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, recently published in SciTechDaily about his and his colleagues’ efforts to engineer a non-addictive opioid for treating pain. The basis for the research involves the receptors in the brain that interact with opioids: mu-opioid receptors (MORs). 

These MORs block pain in specific parts of the brain when they are stimulated by opioids. However, there are also MORs in the brain stem and nucleus accumbens. The MORs in the brain stem can reduce breathing function when interacting with opioids and the MORs in the nucleus accumbens trigger a pleasure response, potentially leading to addiction.

Dr. Che and his colleagues are exploring a different opioid receptor called “kappa opioid receptors” (KORs). Drugs that interact with KORs still block pain, but they do not interact the same way with the brain stem or nucleus accumbens. This means that drugs targeting the KOR will still reduce pain, without being detrimental to breathing function, nor will they be addictive.

This research could go a long way towards ending the opioid epidemic triggered by the reckless actions of traditional opioid manufacturers.

If you or a loved one have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, you may be able to recover compensation for your expenses. In order to file a lawsuit, you will need a mass torts attorney. 

An experienced mass torts attorney can file your case alongside other members of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) to ensure you have the most bargaining power possible. 

Additionally, a mass torts attorney can advocate for you during proceedings and back out of a settlement if it isn’t in your best interest. The best place to find a mass torts attorney is with Attorney at Law.

At AAL, our nationwide network of attorneys and law firms can match you with a mass torts attorney in your area. Our partners have the resources, legal expertise, and experience to take on the biggest corporations in the nation. 

In addition to a distinguished case record, our partners excel in client care. We understand the financial concerns of filing a lawsuit. That’s why AAL exclusively partners with mass tort firms that take cases on contingency. With contingency, you pay nothing upfront and only have to pay a portion of your winnings if you win.

That means if you don’t win, you don’t pay. Don’t wait. Contact AAL today for a free, no-obligation consultation and begin your journey to justice.

Featured Mass Tort Lawyers

Patrick Flynn, Attorney at Law

24 years in practice
Mass Tort, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death
View Profile

The G Law Group, P.A.

10 years in practice
Birth Injury, Mass Tort, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Premises Liability
View Profile

Babiarz Law Firm, P.A.

28 years in practice
Auto Accidents, Mass Tort, Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect, Personal Injury, Premises Liability
View Profile

Shayan Family Law, APC

10 years in practice
Alimony, Child Custody, Child Support, Contested Divorce, Divorce & Family Law
View Profile

Breen & Williford, Injury Lawyers, P.S.C.

31 years in practice
Auto Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
View Profile

Law Offices of Jodie Bassichis, PA

30 years in practice
Divorce & Family Law
View Profile

Related Posts

Attorney At Law is changing how clients connect with lawyers. By providing an innovative platform to lawyers who want to expand their practice’s reach, AAL is bringing law practices into the future.
6142 Innovation Way
Carlsbad, California 92009
© 2023 Attorney at Law | All rights reserved
Some of the content of this website may be considered attorney advertising under the rules of certain jurisdictions. The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.
crossmenuchevron-upchevron-down linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram