Strong effect, no risk: researchers are working on a new miracle painkiller

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They numb the body and are quickly addictive: painkillers not only help, but can also cause harm. Authorities in the US and Europe are sounding the alarm. Interpol only warned of a fentanyl crisis in Europe in early February. The number of addicts is increasing.

Fentanyl is a strong painkiller that is used by cancer patients, among others, but is also traded illegally. The synthetic opioid is 50 times more powerful than heroin. The painkillers tilidine and morphine also have a strong effect, but also carry the risk of becoming addicted.

Substance blocks the so-called pore proteins in the body

That is why researchers around the world are working to develop a painkiller that relieves suffering but does not become addictive. The US company Vertex Pharmaceuticals is apparently on the verge of a breakthrough with the substance VX-548, as “Welt” reports. The company plans to apply for approval in the summer.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals remains tight-lipped about exactly how the drug is constructed. The only thing that is clear is that the substance blocks the so-called pore proteins in the body. These proteins are missing in ‘fakir people’, i.e. people who do not feel pain. And researchers around the world are taking advantage of this to develop a new drug that interrupts the pain signal but does not cause addiction in the brain.

Particularly good for chronic nerve pain

VX-548 has already been tested in several studies. And the results sound promising. For example, one group of patients received VX-548 after surgery, while the other group received a standard painkiller mixture. The result: VX-548 worked faster in some patients. However, the effect fell short of the researchers’ expectations. It was weaker than the usual painkiller mixture.

In other studies, VX-548 performed better, especially in patients with chronic nerve pain. About 200 patients received the new drug. The result: good tolerability and sometimes a stronger effect than conventional medicines.

Swissmedic is monitoring the situation and the upcoming approval in the US, as the Swiss Institute for Therapeutic Products reported at the request of Blick. The authority does not assess the medicine itself. It is unclear if and when the drug can also be approved in Switzerland. “We have not yet received any application for approval,” Swissmedic said. Now the VX-548 must overcome the first hurdle: approval in the US.

Source: Blick