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TUESDAY, July 18, 2023 -- Older adults who begin using opioid painkillers after a dementia diagnosis have a significantly greater risk of death — about 11-fold within the first two weeks, according to new research. The risk of death continued beyond two weeks, but at a lower rate, said researchers in Denmark. They found a doubled death risk within 90 days of opioid initiation, and said doctors must seriously weigh the risks versus benefits of opioid use in elderly patients with dementia. The study of all Danes diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in a 10-year period also found that one-third of patients who began taking opioids died within 180 days of that first dose. About 6% of the non-opioid group died during that time. “In our study, starting on an opioid after getting a dementia diagnosis was frequent and associated with a markedly increased risk of death, which is worrisome,” co-author Dr. Christina Jensen-Dahm said in an Alzheimer's Association news release. “The use of strong opioids has increased considerably over the past decade among older people with dementia. Our study shows the importance of careful evaluation of risk and benefits to the patient when considering initiating opioid therapy among elderly individuals with dementia,” said Jensen-Dahm, of the Danish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen University Hospital. When the opioids were fentanyl patches, nearly two-thirds of patients died within the first 180 days versus about 7% of those without opioid prescriptions. Overall, the researchers found a fourfold increased excess death risk associated with opioids in the first six months even after adjusting for differences between groups. Guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says opioid therapy should only be considered for pain if benefits outweigh the risks. "This is particularly important for older individuals with dementia," Jensen-Dahm said. "Opioids are known to have significant side-effects including sedation, confusion, respiratory depression and falls. Older adults with dementia have a severe brain disorder and are often frail. We suspect this is why they cannot tolerate opioids, but we do not know for certain and need to do more research to answer these questions.” Those in the study were 65 and older and diagnosed with dementia between 2008 and 2018. About 42% of them filled a prescription for an opioid. Strong opioids like morphine and oxycodone (OxyContin) were associated with a sixfold increased death risk. This group also included ketobemidone (Ketogan), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo), pethidine (Demerol), buprenorphine (Buprenex) and fentanyl. “Opioids are very powerful drugs, and while we need to see additional research in more diverse populations, these initial findings indicate they may put older adults with dementia at much higher risk of death,” said Dr. Nicole Purcell , a neurologist and Alzheimer’s Association senior director, clinical practice. “Pain should not go undiagnosed or untreated, in particular in people living with dementia who may not be able to effectively articulate the location and severity of the pain,” Purcell added. “These new findings further emphasize the need for discussion between the patient, family and physician. Decisions about prescribing pain medication should be thought through carefully, and, if used, there needs to be careful monitoring of the patient.” Other drugs deemed excessively risky for older people are atypical antipsychotics, which nearly doubled the risk of death in people with dementia in prior research. The findings were reported Tuesday in Amsterdam at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. Findings presented at medical meetings should considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Sources Alzheimer’s Association, news release, July 18, 2023 Posted July 2023

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2023 / WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("WEX" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company developing Halneuron® (Tetrodotoxin or TTX) for pain, announced that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 2B clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Tetrodotoxin in the treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain (the "Clinical Trial"). The Clinical Trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational, multicenter study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Halneuron® in 222 patients with moderate-to-severe Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain ("CINP"). Patients will be randomized to receive either Halneuron or a placebo in addition to any concomitant medication they are taking for their CINP. The primary objective will be to determine the duration of pain relief experienced with Halneuron as measured by a Numeric Pain Response Scale (NPRS). Secondary objectives include determining the efficacy of TTX compared to placebo in the improvement of quality of life for subjects and determining the safety of TTX compared to placebo in subjects with CINP. WEX recently announced it had received authorizations from the regulatory authorities of China, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, USA, and Canada to conduct the Clinical Trial in these countries. Mr. Walter Korz, Chief Operating Officer of WEX stated, "We continually receive feedback from key pain opinion leaders and physicians that new non-opioid pain therapies are needed and dosing the first patient in the Clinical Trial is a vital step towards the evaluation of TTX for the treatment of CINP. We look forward to the Clinical Trial's continued advancement." This is the first time Halneuron® will be evaluated in an Asian patient population outside China, and WEX expects the Clinical Trial will provide additional information towards the conduct of the Phase 3 CINP clinical trial being planned. About Halneuron® Halneuron® (TTX, Tetrodotoxin), a selective sodium channel blocker, produces analgesia either by decreasing the propagation of action potentials by sodium channels and/or by blocking ectopic discharges associated with chronic pain. Halneuron® is an injectable formulation of Tetrodotoxin, a novel small molecule with action exclusively on the peripheral nervous system. Halneuron does not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore is without the common side effects of euphoria, addiction, tolerance, sedation, and confusion experienced by opioids and other analgesics. Pharmacology studies revealed that TTX is a more potent analgesic than standard analgesic agents such as aspirin, morphine, or meperidine, with potential applications in many moderate to severe neuropathic pain conditions. About WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a late-stage drug development company dedicated to the development, manufacture, and commercialization of innovative drug products to treat pain. WEX is a leader in research in the field of sodium channel blockers and has programs in various stages of development based on the Halneuron® platform. WEX has conducted late-stage multinational clinical trials in cancer pain and chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. WEX is a wholly owned subsidiary of CK Life Sciences Int'l., (Holdings) Inc. ("CKLS"). CKLS is engaged in the business of research and development, manufacturing, commercialization, marketing, sale of, and investment in products and assets which fall into three core categories - nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and agriculture-related. CKLS is a member of the CK Hutchison Group. For additional information, please visit . This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the objectives and potential results of the Clinical Trial, the planned Phase 3 CINP clinical trial and the safety and therapeutic utility of Halneuron® as a peripheral-acting, non-opioid analgesic. Statements in this document regarding future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. For this purpose, any statements that are contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "will", "should", "expects", "projects", "reduces," "affirms", "acceptable", "accepts", "establishes", "continued advancement", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, future circumstances, or events to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: those associated with the success of research and development programs, the Company's ability to raise additional funding and the potential dilutive effects thereof, the regulatory approval process, competition, securing and maintaining corporate alliances, market acceptance of the Company's products, the availability of government and insurance reimbursements for the Company's products, the strength of intellectual property, reliance on subcontractors and key personnel and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's public disclosure documents and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to: obtaining positive results of clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals, TTX is a more potent analgesic than standard analgesics, safety of product, effectiveness of drug, general business and economic conditions, the Company's ability to successfully develop and commercialize new products, the assumption that the Company's current good relationships with third parties will be maintained, the availability of financing on reasonable terms, the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled staff, market competition, the products and technology offered by the Company's competitors, no known competing drugs specifically for CINP, and the Company's ability to protect patents and proprietary rights. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. For further information contact: WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Walter Korz Chief Operating Officer Phone: (604) 683-8880 Fax: (604) 683-8868 E-mail: wex@wexpharma.com Internet: SOURCE: WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: