N60 Could Be a Promising Non-Addictive Chronic Pain Reliever

Recent research on the powerful analgesic N60 has revealed the drug is effective in treating pain without the side effects of tolerance and addiction, according to scientists at Columbia University Medical Center.

N60 affects the pathway neurons use to inform the brain of injuries. The pathway contains a protein, PKG, that “acts like a switch” and when activated causes the brain to continue receiving signals perceived as pain.

Researchers, Dr. Richard Ambron, professor of Pathology & Cell Biology at Columbia University Medical Center and Dr. Ying-Ju Sung, assistant professor of Clinical Pathology, developed the drug to target PKG, which is specific to biochemical signaling for chronic pain. The drug would affect the peripheral nervous system, which would not cause chemical addiction or tolerance. And, because PKG is involved in chronic pain, new injuries will still be felt even if the protein is “shut off” by the drug.

"The only drugs that work consistently on chronic pain are opiates and anti-depressants," said Ambron, in a press release. "A significant problem with opiates is that extended use often leads to addiction."

http://techventures.columbia.edu/news/researchers-discover-novel-therapeutic-chronic-pain

"Everyone is looking for a solution that is not addictive," Sung said, in a press release. "There's increasing concern, from clinicians, patients, and regulatory agencies, with drugs that act on the central nervous system where addiction can develop."

N60 has been proven effective in laboratory test involving animal models of nerve injuries and inflammation.

"We believe a compound like N60 has significant potential to transform the way chronic pain is treated," Ambron said, in a press release. "If it works the way we think it can, we may be able to alleviate chronic pain in some of its most intractable forms without the risk of addiction, a problem that conveys a whole set of economic and social issues for our country and society at-large."