SMi Reports: Separating Analgesia from Euphoria in a Novel Opioid Agonist for Chronic Pain

LONDON - April 21, 2017 - PRLog -- Traditional mu-opioid agonists can have excellent analgesic properties, but are typically associated with high abuse liability that can lead to addiction and dependence.

Following on from recent research has associated the rate of molecular entry across the blood brain barrier with increased abuse liability in preclinical species, SMi Group are delighted to have Dr Stephen Doberstein, Senior VP and Chief Scientific Officer from Nektar Pharmaceuticals, present a keynote address at Pain Therapeutics 2017 when the 17th annual show returns to Central London on 23rd & 24th May.

Novel opioids that have greatly reduced rates of entry into the CNS separate the euphorigenic effects from the analgesic effects of CNS receptor engagement, raising the prospect of an inherently low-abuse liability opioid analgesic, independent of formulation or route of administration.

Drawing from over 20 years of experience which spans across small molecule, protein therapeutics, and monoclonal antibody discovery and development in therapeutic areas including oncology, neuroscience, inflammation, immunology, and metabolic diseases, Dr Doberstein will explore the relationship of brain entry rate to euphoria and discuss engineering brain entry rate of MOR agonists to reduce euphoria and abuse liability.

Highlights from the presentation will also include both a preclinical analysis of brain transport rate, dopamine release and reinforcing behaviour; as well as a clinical analysis of human abuse liability of Nektar's novel opioid agonist with inherently slow CNS entry.

The notable speaker panel will also include further insight on opioid addiction, novel therapeutics, animal models, drug development & mechanisms, translational approaches and drug formulation from Cara Therapeutics, MSD USA, Pharmaleads, AstraZeneca, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Apollo Therapeutics, Mundipharma Research, Centrexion Therapeutics Corp, NeuroDigm Corp, Zoetis, Grunenthal GmbH, Lilly UK,  Novartis and Amgen.

The full line-up and detailed agenda is available at http://www.smi-online.co.uk/pharmaceuticals/uk/pain-thera...

Pain Therapeutics 2017
22nd & 23rd May
Copthorne Tara Hotel, London, UK

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Contact Information:

For media enquiries contact Teri Arri on Tel: +44 (0)20 7827 6162 / Email: tarri@smi-online.co.uk

About SMi Group:

Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance and Pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on having access to the world's most forward thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share and Network. More information can be found at http://www.smi-online.co.uk