‘Exciting' new non-opioid painkiller shows promising results — and doesn't build up tolerance
Duke University researchers have devised a promising, potent pain reliever — seemingly without the harmful side effects and addictive highs of opioids.
While opioids interact with numerous cellular pathways, the experimental drug is more selective. SBI-810 targets a receptor in the brain and spinal cord, activating a single pain-relief signal while steering clear of other signals that could trigger troublesome consequences.
Advertisement
3 Ru-Rong Ji, an anesthesiology and neurobiology researcher who directs the Duke Anesthesiology Center for Translational Pain Medicine, led the team in developing the painkiller SBI-810.
Duke University School of Medicine
'What makes this compound exciting is that it is both analgesic and non-opioid,' said senior study author Ru-Rong Ji, an anesthesiology and neurobiology researcher who directs the Duke Anesthesiology Center for Translational Pain Medicine.
'[The receptor] is a promising target for treating acute and chronic pain,' Ji added.
Advertisement
Chronic pain is a persistent problem in the US. Nearly a quarter of adults, about 62 million, experienced it in 2023.
Chronic pain has helped fuel the opioid crisis. About 8.6 million Americans 12 years and older reported misusing prescription opioids in 2023.
And almost 70% of the 107,000-plus US drug overdose deaths that year were attributed to opioids such as fentanyl.
3 Chronic pain is a persistent problem in the US, with about 62 million adults experiencing it in 2023.
AS/peopleimages.com – stock.adobe.com
Advertisement
The good news is that there has been recent progress on this front, with more treatment options and fewer opioid-related deaths.
It's too early to tell if SBI-810 can help the cause. The drug has not been thoroughly tested in humans, but the results in mice have been encouraging.
Opioids like morphine often lead to tolerance with repeated use, requiring higher or more frequent doses to maintain the same level of pain control.
Advertisement
SBI-810 relieved pain from surgical incisions, bone fractures and nerve injuries without a buildup of tolerance or constipation, another common opioid side effect.
3 The experimental drug SBI-810 targets a receptor in the brain and spinal cord, activating a single pain-relief signal.
mybox – stock.adobe.com
When coupled with small doses of opioids, SBI-810 made them more effective at lower doses.
And it's said to work better than the painkillers oliceridine and gabapentin in certain situations.
The findings were published recently in the journal Cell.
Ji's team has secured several patents for SBI-810 and hopes to start human trials soon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
33 minutes ago
- Business Insider
What the 'hidden job market' really is and how to make it work for you
Sometimes, the best way to land a job at a company is to get rejected by them first. In the months before graduating from Cornell University in 2023, Jahnavi Shah said she applied to over 500 jobs and secured five interviews, but none led to a full-time offer — at least not right away. Several months later, she'd be fast-tracked into a role thanks to a contact she'd made during that stretch. All it took was a good initial application, a LinkedIn connection — and a little patience. "It's a great reminder that even if an opportunity doesn't work out immediately, staying on the radar can make a difference," said the 24-year-old, who lives in San Francisco. Here's what happened: Disappointed to not land a role she'd interviewed for at identity verification startup Persona, Shah connected with the recruiter on LinkedIn anyway. Months later, she'd accepted a part-time contract role but was still looking for full-time employment. When she received a congratulatory message from the Persona recruiter, Shah checked Persona's careers page, where she saw a new job posted just a few days earlier. She applied, landed an interview, and received an offer after sharing three references. Shah said she was told only one interview was required because the company was already familiar with her. "I believe my previous interview experience gave the team a solid understanding of my profile and potential," she said. Shah is among the workers who have battled a challenging job market in recent years. Amid economic uncertainty, ranging from tariffs to the early impacts of AI adoption, US businesses are hiring at nearly the slowest pace in more than a decade. Open roles are taking longer to fill — if they're filled at all — and some job seekers say they're sending out dozens of applications without ever hearing back from employers. In this environment, it can feel like hiring happens behind closed doors — like there's a membership to an exclusive club that some job seekers simply don't have access to. In some cases, a club of this sort does exist, but getting in is more accessible than it seems. Landing an interview, even if you're rejected, can sometimes be enough to secure future opportunities. Business Insider has heard from hundreds of Americans over the past year who are struggling to find work as US businesses slow hiring and flatten management structures. Share your story by filling out this quick form and read more below: A laid-off Accenture manager has been job hunting for 21 months. Recruiters keep telling him he's too expensive. I'm a 53-year-old middle manager who can't find a job. I burned through my savings and even resorted to selling plasma — this market is a black hole. From six figures to $25 an hour: These struggling job seekers are settling for lower-paying jobs to pay the bills Job searching in 2025? It's a mess no matter how old you are. Getting into the 'hidden job market' can give candidates an edge Bonnie Dilber, senior manager of talent acquisition at the automation software company Zapier, said she believes the vast majority of roles are publicly posted on platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed — with some exceptions, such as senior executive positions, jobs at stealth startups, and roles at small mom-and-pop businesses. However, she said some companies do regularly hire through what she calls the "hidden job market" — prioritizing a select pool of candidates and, in some cases, skipping a public job posting altogether. Often, though, that pool isn't full of people with insider connections, but of prior applicants who stayed on the company's radar, she said. Over her career, Dilber said she's hired "countless" people who impressed during interviews but were initially rejected due to factors like timing or location. When circumstances changed, the company reached back out and fast-tracked them for other openings. At her company, for example, she said they might post a role like technical support specialist or account executive — positions typically filled in high volumes — and hire a handful of candidates. A couple of months later, when new openings arise, they might revisit the same applicant pool rather than reposting the job. If a strong runner-up had made it to the final round, they might extend an offer without even conducting another interview. "Someone could look at that and think 'no job was posted but someone got hired,' but in reality, those are applicants from existing candidate pools that a company makes many hires from," she said. Other employers are also finding ways to give rejected candidates a second shot. Sean Barry, Allstate's vice president of talent acquisition, said the company implemented a system last year that flags qualified candidates who were initially turned down and recommends them for other roles. So far, it's helped Allstate hire more than 100 people, many of them for claims positions. "While they might've been a no-go for that role at that time, it certainly doesn't mean that they're not a fit for the company and potentially a fit for another need," Barry previously told Business Insider. Dilber said she's benefited from processes like this herself. On two occasions, she applied for a role and was the runner-up — only to be contacted shortly after about a different opportunity, with a shorter interview process since the company was already familiar with her. She said her top advice for job seekers is to focus on submitting applications for roles they're well qualified for — and to use networking and referrals to strengthen those efforts whenever possible. Even if it doesn't lead to an offer right away, a strong application — especially one that leads to an interview — can open doors down the line. "Your best bet is always to apply with a strong application — and a referral if possible — rather than worrying about jobs that were never posted," she said. When a rejected job application turns into a dream job offer Sometimes, getting rejected doesn't lead to a job at that employer — but it can open doors elsewhere. In 2024, Alicia Strata applied for an administrative assistant job but didn't get the position. However, the third-party recruiter the company worked with suggested a part-time office support role at another company that he thought might be a good fit — so she decided to give it a shot, even though she wasn't particularly interested in the position. During the interview, Strata said she kept getting asked marketing questions that didn't align with the job description. Halfway through, she learned there had been a mix-up: the company was actually looking to hire a marketing professional. It was exactly the kind of role she'd been hoping to find since graduating with a degree in marketing communications. The interviewers thought she seemed like a great fit, and she started working at the company a month later. "It was amazing to walk into the interview not even wanting the role, and walk out thinking it could be my dream career," she said. Landing jobs through connections made during interviews isn't a new phenomenon. After graduating in December 2007 with a degree in communication arts, Allyson Noonan struggled to land a job, so she worked part-time at Anthropologie and babysat. One day, someone who interviewed her for a job she didn't get contacted her, saying she had a friend in the industry looking for an entry-level position that she thought she'd be a fit for. This position turned out to be her first full-time job at a PR agency, which she started in June 2008. "This experience taught me that it's wise to take every interview you can — even if you're not sure it's a good fit," she said.
CNBC
4 hours ago
- CNBC
FDA approves first-ever glucose monitoring system for weight loss from Signos
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first-ever glucose monitoring system specifically for weight loss from the startup Signos, establishing a new option for Americans to manage their weight. Current treatment options for losing weight – popular drugs like GLP-1s and surgical interventions – are typically limited to patients with obesity or a certain BMI. Obesity drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound can also be difficult to access due to their high costs, limited U.S. insurance coverage and constrained supply. But now, any patient can purchase a Signos membership to access its system. It uses an AI platform and an off-the-shelf continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, from Dexcom to offer personalized, real-time data and lifestyle recommendations for weight management. "There is now a solution that everybody can use to help on the weight loss journey, and you don't have to be a certain number of pounds to use it. It's available for the average American who needs it," said Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer, Signos' co-founder and CEO, in an interview on Tuesday ahead of the approval. "The average person might have five pounds to lose, or others might have 100 pounds to lose. We are here to help them at any point in that journey." The obesity epidemic costs the U.S. health-care system more than $170 billion a year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Almost 74% of Americans are overweight or obese, government data says. Signos hopes it can make a "real big dent in that curve for the betterment of many of us," Fouladgar-Mercer said. Customers who sign up for Signos can choose a three-month or six-month plan, which currently costs $139 and $129, respectively. The company will ship out all of the CGMs a patient needs for the number of months in the plan they choose. Insurers currently don't cover the system for weight management, but the plans are a fraction of the roughly $1,000 monthly price of GLP-1s in the U.S. Signos is working with health insurance companies and employers to get coverage for the system, the company said in a statement to CNBC. Signos said it expects "this to evolve quickly as interest for tackling weight continued to expand." The Signos system can be used in combination with GLP-1s or bariatric surgery, said Fouladgar-Mercer. He said patients can also use the system after getting off a GLP-1 to maintain their weight loss. CGMs are small sensors worn on the upper arm that track glucose levels, mainly for people with diabetes. That data is wirelessly sent to Signos' app, which also allows patients to log their food intake and exercise levels, among other information that the AI platform uses to make recommendations. Apart from helping people lose pounds, the system aims to help users understand how their bodies respond to specific foods and exercise patterns and make the right behavioral changes to manage and maintain their weight in the long term. Signos did not share how many patients are currently using its glucose monitoring system, but Fouladgar-Mercer said tens of thousands of people have already tried it over time. He said Signos has scaled up its CGM inventory and software capacity to "handle a pretty massive scale" following the approval.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cardiologists Are Begging You To Eat More of This High-Fiber Food if You're Over 50
Cardiologists Are Begging You To Eat More of This High-Fiber Food if You're Over 50 originally appeared on Parade. As we age, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease increases. The chambers of your heart may get bigger, and valves that control blood flow between the chambers of the heart can become thicker and stiffer, making it harder for your heart to function as well as usual. Those factors and more are why about 9% of adults in their 50s have heart disease. While getting older is a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, there are some risk factors within your control, like tweaking your diet to support heart health. There's no one magic food that will support heart health as you age, but cardiologists say that focusing on a range of macronutrients, including fiber, can most Americans fall short of getting the recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber, which isn't doing their heart health any favors. If you're over 50, cardiologists say there's one high-fiber food in particular that can make it simple to hit your daily goals of the macronutrient. Even better: It's versatile and easy to use. Here's what they want you to keep in mind about increasing your fiber intake for heart health, plus the food that can help. 🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊 The High-Fiber Food Cardiologists Want People Over 50 To Eat More Of If you want to increase your fiber intake for heart health, cardiologists recommend incorporating chia seeds into your diet. 'Chia seeds are an easy and effective way to boost your daily fiber intake,' says , director of the Hypertension Center at Northwell's Staten Island University Hospital., interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, agrees. 'Chia seeds are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber,' he says. Soluble fiber interacts with water to create a gel-like substance in the gut and can help lower the risk of heart disease, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool and helps food pass more quickly through the gastrointestinal tract. 'Just two tablespoons pack about 10 grams of fiber, which is nearly half of the recommended daily amount for older adults,' Dr. Behuria says. Related: Why Chia Seeds Can Support Heart Health There are a few reasons why chia seeds can support heart health. The fiber in chia seeds can support heart health by lowering levels of LDL 'bad' cholesterol, Dr. Chen says. High levels of LDL cholesterol are linked with the buildup of plaque in the arteries—and that increases the risk of having a heart attack and stroke. Chia seeds may also improve blood sugar control, lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a condition that's also linked to double the chances of getting heart disease. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases over age 45, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 'Chia seeds can aid in feeling full longer, which may help with weight management,' Dr. Behuria says. Being overweight and obesity are risk factors for heart disease, and maintaining a healthy weight can help combat that. Chia seeds are also easy to toss in a range of foods, from smoothies to oatmeal, making it simple to hit your fiber goals. You can even create 'chia seed water' by soaking chia seeds in water and drinking the mixture. Related: Keep This In Mind When Eating Chia Seeds for Heart Health Chia seeds can be added to a slew of different foods, but cardiologists stress the importance of making sure they're used with a lot of water. 'It is essential that you take in chia seeds with plenty of water, as this will help the high fiber move through the digestive tract,' Dr. Chen says. Dr. Behuria agrees. 'Their high fiber content and ability to absorb liquid can cause discomfort if you're not drinking enough water,' she explains. Related: Other Ways To Protect Your Heart Health as You Age To continue to protect your heart health as you get older, Dr. Behuria recommends following the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 recommendations. Those include: Eat a diet focused on whole foods, including fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, and seeds. Try to get 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week. Avoid tobacco, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Do your best to maintain a BMI of 25. Control your cholesterol by limiting sugary foods and drinks, red and processed meats, salty foods, refined carbohydrates, and highly processed foods. Try to manage your blood sugar. Stay on top of your blood pressure. Up Next:Sources: Heart Health and Aging, National Institute on Aging Heart Disease Prevalence, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention McKeown NM, et al. Fibre intake for optimal health: how can healthcare professionals support people to reach dietary recommendations? BMJ. 2022. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2020-054370. Dr. Supreeti Behuria, MD, director of the Hypertension Center at Northwell's Staten Island University Hospital Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber, U.S. National Library of Medicine LDL Cholesterol, U.S. National Library of Medicine Diabetes Risk Factors, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Diabetes and Your Heart, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Powell-Wiley TM, et al. Obesity and cardiovascular disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000973 Life's Essential 8, American Heart Association Cardiologists Are Begging You To Eat More of This High-Fiber Food if You're Over 50 first appeared on Parade on Aug 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
