[bheadmaster]

Finally! All the benefits of the opioids, with none of the dangers.

For clarity: I'm referring to all the previous attempts to "fix" the synthetic opioids, each of which ended up making a stronger, more dangerous opioid.

[ViktorRay]

The danger of addiction, which is very significant, with opioids doesn’t go away with this modified design.

Unless you’re being sarcastic and referencing the lies the Sackler family used to get OxyContin popular..

That being said it is indeed quite cool that they modified the drug to decrease the respiratory depression.

[wongarsu]

Not just OxyContin. Also Heroin, Meperidine and Tramadol.

We get another "morphine, but safe this time" in pretty reliable 40 year intervals. I guess someone decided OxyContin doesn't count and we are due for another one

[Nursie]

On the one hand, I'm sure that the post you're responding to is referencing many previous failed attempts at making non-addictive opioid painkillers.

But on the other, non-sarcastic side... if addiction is the only remaining problem with them, should we care that much?

I.E. if both the chronic and acute health risks are gone (which I don't think they are for a second, but follow me along on this little thought experiment)... does it matter quite so much? Clearly addiction, in the abstract, is not exactly a good thing. But if it's not coupled to risk of death it seems to me it would be a great thing to transition addicted people to, and take away some of the urgency of the situation.

[kvgr]

The chinese factories and cartels can hop on this new formula not.

[fredgrott]

and the fun fact, the other new drug targeting the mid-receptor of acetyl-choline that functions like mu-opioid receptor also has the same exact addiction problems.

[at-w]

>each of which ended up making a stronger, more dangerous opioid

This is true of some early opioids like heroin, but with e.g. Oxycontin the problem wasn’t a stronger opioid, it's how it ended up being prescribed.

Purdue's marketing led doctors to prescribe it to more people, in higher doses, and for longer. Oxycontin isn't inherently more dangerous than the dose of immediate release oxycodone or morphine that would have an equivalent effect.

Innovation in opioids shouldn't just be written off. They're still the best (and sometimes the only effective) treatment for a huge number of people, and some new opioids like buprenorphine/combos like Suboxone have real advantages.

The lesson from Oxycontin is more about deceptive marketing and prescribing practices.

[throwaway173738]

I mean if there were no safe dose or usage pattern then I would expect a lot of mothers to leave the hospital with both a newborn and a crippling addiction. The epidural is an opiate like fentanyl.

[DesaiAshu]

Adjacent medicines have seen major improvements: eg Ketamine was a significant improvement from PCP (notably, less psychosis and safe enough to use off the battlefield / with children)

“Removing the worst and most fatal danger” is a laudable goal with Fentanyl given the absurd rate of ODs

[at-w]

As have the opioids buprenorphine and Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone), which are genuinely useful treatments for addiction and have much lower risks of abuse.

[bena]

No, same. Reading the headline, I immediately thought "Aw shit, here we go again".

It's like that xkcd comic about unifying standards, now we have n+1 addictive opioids.