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Due to the risk of addiction associated with the prolonged use of prescription opioids, there is an urgent need for non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of chronic pain.
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Drugs such as dexmedetomidine that bind to the norepinephrine alpha-2a (α2a) adrenergic receptor are effective analgesics, but their sedative effects limit their widespread use.
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A recent study used computational methods to identify novel compounds that could activate α2a-adrenergic receptors to relieve pain in mouse models without causing sedation.
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Further research is needed to assess the side effects of these drugs and optimize the compounds for therapeutic use.
Full article: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/chronic-pain-non-opioid-drug-candidates-could-offer-relief-without-addiction?fbclid=IwAR2s5lEuyvwcBzCwUkhQ2yeFDypcaVfSPe1hXELvI1aDcOvkno-aXwbTses
Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ 
