NPR

Brain Scientists Look Beyond Opioids To Conquer Pain

The search is on for opioid alternatives that can block pain without causing addiction. One promising candidate: snail venom.
Source: Hiroshi Watanabe

The goal is simple: a drug that can relieve chronic pain without causing addiction.

But achieving that goal has proved difficult, says Edward Bilsky, a pharmacologist who serves as the provost and chief academic officer at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, Wash.

"We know a

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR1 min read
Deadline Extended: NPR Student Podcast Challenge entries are now due May 31
Entries for our sixth annual contest for middle and high school students (and our first-ever fourth grade competition) are now due Friday, May 31 at midnight E.T.
NPR2 min read
GameStop Surges After Meme Stock Investor 'Roaring Kitty' Resurfaces Online
Shares in the video game retailer more than doubled at one point after a prominent meme stock investor made his first online posting in about three years.
NPR3 min readAmerican Government
Biden's National Monument Expansion Applauded By Allies, But Big Obstacles Loom
President Biden dramatically expanded two national monuments in California. But there are growing concerns that federal land managers are struggling to manage existing monuments designated since 2016.

Related Books & Audiobooks