A novel preclinical study from the Evseenko Lab, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, reveals that a potential new opioid medication may have the ability to slow the progression of osteoarthritis while being less addictive than commonly prescribed opioid drugs.

The medication activates the kappa opioid receptor (KOR), which binds to opioid-like compounds in the central and peripheral nervous systems to alleviate pain, resulting in targeted pain relief with a reduced risk of addiction.

To read more, visit https://news.keckmedicine.org/significantly-less-addictive-opioid-may-slow-progression-of-osteoarthritis-while-easing-pain.