Opioid medications are drugs that help control pain which may result from trauma-related injuries such as post-surgery or a broken bone. Opioids are typically addicting and are only used to manage acute pain, rather than chronic pain. Some patients seek alternatives to opioids: they may turn to over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (Advil), aspirin (Bayer), or acetaminophen (Tylenol). These non-opioid medications can work adequately for some patients, but for others, they may not be sufficient. A new drug developed by Esteve Pharmaceuticals, known as Seglentis, has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an alternative to manage acute pain in adults.
Many adults dealing with acute pain may risk becoming addicted to the use of opioids if they do not regulate their medication.
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Seglentis is a combination drug that treats severe acute pain. Combination therapy is a mode of treatment that combines more than one therapeutic agent to enhance the efficacy of the drug or prevent the development of resistance to the drug. Seglentis is a product made of a co-crystal form of celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and tramadol, a synthetic opioid. Due to the co-crystallization of the drug product, data by Esteve Pharmaceuticals has shown that tramadol hydrochloride is dissolved at a slower rate, while that of celecoxib is slightly accelerated. This characteristic allows for the drug to be administered as two tablets every 12 hours as opposed to the typically recommended 6 hours for tramadol-containing products, which ultimately reduces the risk of opioid addiction.
Seglentis was developed using a first-in-class innovation of applying crystallization technology to improve the properties of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in the drug. The distinct molecular structure of the ingredients allows the drug to efficiently travel within the body to bring effective pain relief. Because Seglentis is the first of its kind to have been developed using crystallization technology to enhance its physicochemical properties, this poses a novel method for improving pharmaceutical ingredients in the future. Crystallization technology could be used for future drugs to make its ingredients the most effective they can be.
Overall, the goal of pain-relieving treatment is to control pain with minimal side effects. Seglentis is an alternative combination product that could prevent opioid addiction, yet still provide similar pain management. With continuing improvement upon drug design, pharmaceutical industries can develop a product that will potentially eliminate the risk of addiction in treating acute pain.
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