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Morphine Relief Without Addiction?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the plop-plop-fizz-fizz dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Morphine has been used as a painkiller for decades, if not centuries. Unfortunately for patients, morphine is also an addictive substance. Now, Brigham Young University (BYU) chemists are using a vine plant that grows in Australia to develop a new painkilling molecule, but with fewer side effects. The Deseret Morning News reports that the BYU chemists hope to ease pain with hasubanonine, the synthetic compound they created and which has a similar molecular structure as morphine. Still, more tests need to be done before this natural drug can replace morphine."

9 of 308 comments (clear)

  1. I know what should be used by daniil · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dr. Freud recommends cocaine as morphine relief.

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    Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
    1. Re:I know what should be used by Martin+Blank · · Score: 2, Funny

      Once the addiction has transferred, you can then try using modafinil to break the cocaine addiction.

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      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
  2. heard it before by r00t · · Score: 2, Funny

    To avoid the addictive problems of morphine, we invented heroin. Oops.

  3. I see addicts. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I love how all the low number slashdot users all appear to be addicts/former addicts.

  4. Relief by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 5, Funny

    Boy, am I glad that tribal Australians will be reimbursed for all the R&D they invested in breeding that vine for thousands of years. That their prior art will prevent some pharmaco from patenting the vine, that the pharmaco lobbyists won't be able to prevent Australians from using the cheap original plant.

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    make install -not war

  5. Re:Contra-dick-tory by kfg · · Score: 2, Funny

    How is milk produced by cow any or thread prduced by spider any more "natural" than iPod produced by human?

    Can you pull an iPod out of your ass?

    I mean one you haven't put there first.

    KFG

  6. Obligatory editor joke by Chris+Kamel · · Score: 2, Funny

    the synthetic compound they created and which has a similar molecular structure as morphine. Still, more tests need to be done before this natural drug can replace morphine

    Talk about self contradiction...

    --
    The following statement is true
    The preceding statement is false
  7. Re:Heroin by x2A · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Reluctance (on the government's part anyway) to give terminal patients all they want is also baffling to me"

    Because it's a drug, and as we all know, drugs cause terrorism!!!

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    The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
  8. Re:Heroin by blugu64 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dang you Ben-Gay!!

    --
    "Personal ownership is a hallmark of conservative capitalism. And I don't believe I am entitled to anything that I did n