Fentanyl makeover: Core structural redesign could lead to safer pain medications

2 hours ago

Fentanyl has been structurally redesigned to reduce respiratory depression while maintaining pain relief.
The new version uses a 'spirocyclic' structure called 2-azaspiro[3.3]heptane, replacing fentanyl's central ring.
The modified fentanyl shows no detectable recruitment of the beta-arrestin pathway, linked to dangerous side effects.
Respiratory depression was temporary and occurred only at very high doses, with breathing normalizing within 25-30 minutes.
The new compound has a short half-life (~27 minutes), beneficial for controlled medical use.
This research could lead to safer opioid therapies with reduced risks of addiction, overdose, and death.
The team plans to develop opioid patent-free vaccines to neutralize fentanyl before it reaches the brain.

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