Drug Makers Hope to Kill the Kick in Pain Relief

NY Times ^ | April 20, 2004 | SANDRA BLAKESLEE

[AntiGuv]

Another produces a nasty burning sensation.

Hmmm.. I hope they're not expecting to recoup their R&D investment on that one..

[Monty22]

Good, the medication needs to STOP PAIN, not cause anyone to feel better. That leads to addiction and problems.

Just make stuff that works. That's the ultimate goal of painkilling research, to replace the crap we have now.

[AntiGuv]

Still, drug addicts will continue to find ways to foil the efforts to foil them.

That could've been the entire article right there and saved a whole lot of ink.. =)

[Monty22]

A lot of people get addicted by medication now. I think it's wonderful that they can make non-addictive medication that'll kill pain but not produce any other effects. The best thing imaginable.

[neverdem]

I think capsaicin is the substance that they want to use to cause the nasty burning sensation. It might be quite agreeable to people that love red pepper.

[AntiGuv]

I haven't any problem with the idea, but it's a futile endeavor. The main thing they accomplish is to create ever greater hassle for those who don't have a problem with substance abuse.

[Monty22]

bull and $hit. They obviously can make nonaddictive painkillers, they're already doing it well.. Celebrex and Ultram are great.

Get over your druggie ideals, that's soooo old.

[nothingnew]

...the medication needs to STOP PAIN, not cause anyone to feel better.

A true Zen saying.

FMCDH

[AntiGuv]

Of course they're doing well. The article says only 5-10% have a problem with addiction. The other 90% have no problem with getting prescribed Celebrex and Ultram when appropriate.

[AntiGuv]

It might be quite agreeable to people that love red pepper.

Nah. The number of reported 'capsaicin allergies' will merely spike, just like the number of reported 'aspirin/NSAID allergies' did some while back...

[sweetliberty]

"One combination blocks euphoria."

Yeah, heaven forbid that someone in pain should experience anything that feels good or makes the pain more tolerable when it can't be completely eliminated.

[Monty22]

Exactly, we need stuff that only kills pain, not has any potential for abuse.

[AntiGuv]

You do realize, of course, that your 'best-case scenario' is to significantly escalate the illicit opiate trade? Granted, there would probably be some subset of people who avoid inadvertent addiction who would not otherwise, which is a good thing.

[Monty22]

If losers have to resort to heroin, so be it..

Throw them in jail.

[A CA Guy]

We need to ask the drug experts what they think.
What do the Libertarians here think about this?

[AntiGuv]

There are a lot of things short of heroin. If I'd meant heroin, I would've said heroin and not opiates. The illicit pill market would expand primarily.

[Monty22]

I'd like to see the opiates phased out as something much better comes along.

It just makes sense, progress.

[AntiGuv]

If something much better comes along then I'm sure the opiates would get phased out pretty swiftly. Lacing opiates with capsaicin or some kind of inhibitor is probably not it.

[Monty22]

To reduce overuse, perhaps it is. When used at prescribed doses, addiction issues are nearly non-existant.

So if you make it harder to take more, it'll probably help.