由英国与意大利科学家所共同参与的一项合作计划，发表一份新闻稿指出，一种可以取代现阶段吗啡 (morphine)使用的新药 UFP-101即将问世，科学家估计这类止痛药将可以副作用较少的方式，达到免除疼痛的目的。
主导这个新药开发的 David Lambert博士表示，目前医生上用来止痛的药物，有很大的比例，都是以类鸦片接受器 (opioid receptor)为主要作用标的之吗啡类药物，临床使用的时候，虽然可以止痛，但也伴随着产生许多不良的药物副反应，像是情绪低落、便秘甚至药物成瘾性等等的问题，因此发展新一代的药物就成了刻不容缓的事了。
这次由英国列斯特大学 (University of Leicester)的 David Lambert博士，与意大利 Girolamo Calo博士的实验室共同合作，找到了一个新的类鸦片接受器 (opioid receptor)，并设计出新一代的止痛药物。据初步的临床数据看来，新的药物确实可以在比较低的副反应下，获得相同效力的止痛效果。
(资料来源 : Bio.com)
原文出处：
03/16/07 -- A potential new pain-killing drug developed by medical scientists at the University of Leicester and Ferrara in Italy is to be discussed at a public lecture on 20th March.
Professor David Lambert, who has been involved in the development the drug in collaboration with Dr Girolamo Calo in Ferrara Italy, believes the new drug ? called UFP-101 - avoids many of the side effects of morphine, currently the ?gold standard? in pain reduction.
He said: "In a 2005 survey for the British Pain Society 975 people were questioned about pain. Twenty one percent experienced pain every day or most days equating to ~10million across the whole UK.
"Morphine produces its clinical effects by interaction with opioid receptors. In addition to acting as a pain killer this drug produces a number of unwanted side effects of importance from a clinical (e.g., depression of breathing, constipation and tolerance) and social (addiction) viewpoints.
"Clearly there is a place for new morphine like drugs without these side effects and the University of Leicester Anaesthesia Division has been at the forefront of such preclinical research."
Since appointment in 1991 as a lecturer Professor Lambert has been working on opioids and opioid receptors with particular emphasis on understanding receptor function and the design and evaluation of new drugs to target these receptors.
In collaboration with Dr Girolamo Calo his laboratory has characterised a prototype analgesic (pain killer), acting at a new opioid receptor, with a much reduced side effect profile.
In his inaugural lecture he will describe the current place of opioids in the clinic and development of UFP-101.
Source: University of Leicester
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