US Scientists Discover Improved Fentanyl Treatment Method

The opioid crisis has been a monumental challenge in the United States, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounting for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths. This issue has also proven to be a point of contention between the US and China, as Washington accuses Chinese traffickers of supplying this potent substance.

However, recent research by scientists from Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Florida, and Stanford University offers hope for tackling this problem. Published in Nature, their findings reveal that they have developed a chemical compound that can significantly enhance treatment outcomes for fentanyl overdoses.

Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic opioid, about 50 times stronger than heroin. According to estimates made by the National Center for Health Statistics, around 75,000 people succumbed to fentanyl overdoses in 2023 alone, which accounts for almost three-quarters of all drug overdose fatalities.

The ongoing crisis involving fentanyl has strained relations between America and China. While American lawmakers blame China as being a major source of precursor chemicals used to produce illicitly trafficked fentanyl into the US, Beijing counters these allegations, stating that it's America who should tighten its domestic controls instead of pointing fingers at others.

Despite these disagreements about sharing responsibility over narcotics control during their summit last November, President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reached an agreement after their summit meeting, agreeing to cooperate on narcotics control efforts.

In response to this agreement, Beijing cautioned Chinese companies against selling equipment or chemicals abroad that could potentially be used for producing opioids overseas.

US Secretary Antony Blinken stated recently that cooperation with China remains crucial in addressing the fentanyl crisis: “Markets are so saturated here [in the U.S.]...criminal enterprises have worked hard creating markets elsewhere—Asia, Europe, and Latin America.”

A key finding from this study revealed that Naloxone's potency increases more than sevenfold when combined with a newly discovered compound, without worsening withdrawal symptoms and lasting longer. Naloxone, a life-saving medication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), can rapidly reverse opioid overdoses.

The newly identified compound, "368,"  was found to bind tightly to opioid receptors only in the presence of naloxone. This interaction allows naloxone to occupy the receptor pocket for at least 10 times longer than usual, enabling it to counteract overdose effects with just one-tenth of its typical dose.

Jay McLaughlin from the University of Florida and the author of this study stated that their research team is committed to improving outcomes in opioid overdoses while reducing fatalities. He further explained how Narcan (a brand name for naloxone) could be made more effective using this new compound when treating respiratory depression caused by opioids such as morphine or fentanyl.

Susruta Majumdar from the Washington University School of Medicine and another author on this paper noted that their discovery opens up possibilities for developing treatments against even stronger opioids if they were ever introduced into the market.

Catherine Cahill from UCLA praised these findings as an important advancement potentially helping combat the devastation wrought upon society due to opioid addiction. She also emphasized the need for additional research determining whether combining a new compound with Naloxone would safely boost potency and duration in humans.

Last month saw the establishment of a policy working group focusing on potential sanctions against entities involved in the fentanyl trade along with closing regulatory loopholes exploited by traffickers as part of ongoing efforts between America and China to address the synthetic drug menace.