New opioid painkillers reduce overdose risk

Deaths cause when opiates like oxycontin, heroin and fentanyl slow and then eventually stop a person's breathing

Scientists have developed new opioid pain relievers that reduce pain on a par with morphine and do not slow or stop breathing caused by overdose.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses — deaths caused when opiates like oxycontin, heroin and fentanyl slow and then eventually stop a person’s breathing.

The research shows that a range of compounds can deliver pain-blocking potency without affecting respiration, said Laura M Bohn, Professor at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in the US.

The study builds on two decades of research which questioned