Experimental painkiller could outsmart opioids: Study

The drug, called SBI-810, is part of a new generation of compounds designed to target a receptor on the nerves and spinal cord. While opioids flood multiple cellular pathways indiscriminately, SBI-810, a non-opioid treatment, takes a more focused approach, activating only a specific pain-relief pathway that avoids the euphoric "high" linked to addiction.

In tests in mice, SBI-810 worked well on its own and, when used in combination, made opioids more effective at lower doses, according to the study published May 19 in Cell.

"What makes this compound exciting is that it is both analgesic and non-opioid," said senior study author Ru-Rong Ji, PhD, an anesthesiology and neurobiology researcher who directs the Duke Anesthesiology Centre for Translational Pain Medicine.

Even more encouraging: it prevented common side effects like constipation and buildup of tolerance, which often forces patients to need stronger and more frequent doses of opioids over time.

SBI-810 is in early development, but Duke researchers are aiming for human trials soon and they've locked in multiple patents for the discovery.

There's an urgent need for pain relief alternatives. Drug overdose deaths are declining, but more than 80,000 Americans still die each year, most often from opioids. Meanwhile, chronic pain affects one-third of the U.S. population.

Researchers said the drug could be a safer option for treating both short-term and chronic pain for those recovering from surgery or living with diabetic nerve pain.