The DEA banned a drug some opioid users called a miracle
Researchers say the Schedule I ban could kill studies of a promising opioid treatment.
Researchers say the Schedule I ban could kill studies of a promising opioid treatment.
The short version
- In 2012, as the driver of deaths in the opioid crisis began moving from prescription pills to heroin, Laura Bohn was tasked with finding safer drugs to manage pain.
- That’s a big deal, because respiratory depression is typically what causes people using opioids to stop breathing and die.
- Bohn, senior associate vice president of research at University of South Florida Health, says her team filed a patent on SR-17018.
What happened
They went on to discover that mice using the chemical did not develop a high tolerance for it and that mice already dependent on morphine—a powerful opioid—could consume SR-17018 to reset their tolerance without suffering from painful withdrawal symptoms. On Reddit and Discord , people who use drugs frequently refer to the compound as a godsend that’s helped them quit using opioids they’re addicted to.
Why it matters
Until very recently, the drug, though not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration , was relatively easy to purchase online, as it was not a federally controlled substance.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.