Scientists at the University of Florida have identified a novel compound aimed at improving the treatment of opioid overdoses, which claimed the lives of more than 81,000 Americans last year.
The discovery could combat the devastating epidemic of opioid-related deaths, driven predominantly by the proliferation of fentanyl. The highly potent synthetic opioid is a pain reliever and among the nation's most abused substances.
"Fentanyl is driving the need to find better treatments for opioid overdoses," said Jay McLaughlin, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacodynamics in the UF College of Pharmacy. "Every opioid death is preventable, highlighting the immediate need to improve the treatment options."
In a study published in the journal Nature, a team of researchers from six laboratories at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Stanford University, and UF report how they identified and tested the compound 368. When paired with the drug naloxone, compound 368 increased the medication's ability to reverse the lethal effects of opioid overdose.
