Naloxone alternative nabs approval

Hot on the heels of its approval of a nasal-spray version of Narcan, the FDA has approved Opvee, a nasal version of nalmefene that, like naloxone, can reverse an opioid overdose. The studies show it works just like naloxone.

Will anyone care? Unlike naloxone, Opvee will require a prescription and as yet there’s no standing order like there had been for naloxone.

Good: Unlike naloxone, which often requires several doses over several hours, Opvee lasts longer and thus might require fewer doses.

Bad: Because the drug lasts longer, its side effects do too — and they’re similar to naloxone’s: “intense withdrawal symptoms including nausea, diarrhea, muscle cramps and anxiety.” And by longer we mean up to six hours.

Opvee is expect to be available this fall.

Pain relief from nausea med

Drugs that target cells’ NK1 receptors can relieve nausea, but the science suggests they should also help relieve pain. But, oddly, they don’t.

It turns out (NYU researchers discovered) that NK1 receptor antagonists can’t get past the surface of cells to help with pain. So they did what scientists do: They tweaked the molecular structure^* of the anti-nausea drug netupitant so it was able to penetrate the cell and last long enough to do its work.

Result: The altered netupitant relieved pain … in mice at least. If the results extend to humans, similar drugs might also benefit from the tweak and act as a new kind of analgesic.

^* Yes, they used nanoparticles. How else would they do it?

The Long(ish) Read: Mental Health in Georgia edition

Can Georgia’s exceptional 988 mental health hotline survive cuts as the state plans for a potential recession?

Nitrate nuance

Readers of a certain age might remember the Great Nitrate Panic of the 1970s, when it was shown that nitrates could cause cancer. Nitrates = bad.

But since then other studies have quietly shown that nitrates might have health benefits, specifically for the cardiovascular system. Nitrates = good?

Aussie researchers decided to look at all those studies and figure out what was up. The answer (they think) is that 1) those original studies never showed a connection in humans, but more importantly, if nitrates come from plants, rather than processed food, they have those heart benefits.

“[U]nlike meat and water-derived nitrate, nitrate-rich vegetables contain high levels of vitamin C and/or polyphenols that may inhibit formation of those harmful N-nitrosamines associated with cancer.”

Ticks keep on giving

The age-old question: If you could eliminate one species from Earth with a wave of your hand, would it be mosquitoes, bedbugs, or ticks? If you’ve been leaning toward mosquitoes, here’s a fun fact: “Ticks may be able to indirectly spread chronic wasting disease.”

As if Lyme disease and anaplasmosis wasn’t enough.

A new study out of the University of Wisconsin found that a single tick can carry enough of the prions that cause chronic wasting disease to infect a deer. The good news (well, not for the deer) is that CWD doesn’t infect humans. Yet.

Short Takes

Shed some tears

If you have patients whose tears evaporate too quickly, there’s good news. The FDA has approved Novaliq’s MIEBO (perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution, if you most know) — “the only FDA-approved treatment specifically targeting excessive tear evaporation, which affects 86% of people with dry eye disease.”

Anthem goes virtual in Georgia

Anthem BCBS is rolling out “virtual-first” health plans in Georgia (and California) for its commercial members. What’s that mean? Starting in July, “Eligible commercial members will gain access to virtual care options, including an AI-powered symptom checker, routine wellness care, chronic condition management and behavioral care.”