Researchers have discovered a novel synthetic opioid that provided potent pain relief in preclinical models without many of the dangerous side effects that limit current opioid therapies.

The compound, N-desethyl-fluornitrazene (DFNZ), produced strong analgesia in rodents without causing respiratory depression, tolerance, or other indicators of potential addiction, reported the researchers, led by Michael Michaelides, PhD, with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

“Opioid pain medications are essential for medical purposes, but can lead to addiction and overdose. Developing a highly effective pain medication without these drawbacks would have enormous public health benefits,” NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, MD, said in a news release.

A novel mu-opioid receptor agonist showed strong analgesia without respiratory depression, tolerance, or significant addiction signals in animal models.