A Powerful Non-Addictive Painkiller Has Been Developed

Researchers from Kyoto University in Japan have developed a next-generation painkiller called ADRIANA that does not cause addiction and lacks the dangerous side effects typically associated with opioids. The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The drug has already passed clinical trials successfully, both in healthy volunteers and in patients who underwent surgical procedures. Unlike morphine and other conventional painkillers, ADRIANA works through a completely different mechanism. It targets adrenoceptors — structures in the nervous system that respond to substances like adrenaline and noradrenaline.

Specifically, the drug blocks a subtype known as α2B-adrenoceptors, which leads to an increase in noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter involved in signal transmission in the brain. This increase then activates α2A-adrenoceptors, which are responsible for reducing pain sensitivity. Thanks to this mechanism, ADRIANA provides effective pain relief without causing respiratory depression, heart issues, or dependence — all common side effects of opioid medications.

After successful preclinical studies, the drug underwent Phase I and II clinical trials, including patients recovering from lung tumor removal surgeries. A large-scale trial is now planned in the United States in collaboration with BTB Therapeutics.

According to its developers, ADRIANA could become Japan’s first non-opioid analgesic and play a significant role in addressing the global “opioid crisis.”