New approach to drug discovery: pain medication with fewer side effects developed

People with chronic pain are often dependent on drugs from the class of opioids with sometimes considerable side effects. Accordingly, in recent years the search for safer alternatives has been the focus in drug discovery. As part of an international study led by MedUni Vienna, an opioid-like molecule has now been developed which, as shown in animal models, can effectively alleviate pain but with fewer undesirable side effects. The researchers developed a computer-assisted workflow that holds enormous potential for improving the search for drug-like substances and thus drug therapies, also for other diseases. The study was recently published in the renowned journal Nature Communications. Opioid prescription drugs that are frequently used in pain medication can lead to drug dependence with serious consequences, including respiratory depression, which is potentially lethal, in particular when the opioid is overdosed or used in combination with sedatives (such as alcohol or sleep medication). The international research team led by Christian Gruber with first author Edin Muratspahic from the Institute of Pharmacology at MedUni Vienna focused on developing new possibilities to find alternative pain remedies.