Japanese researchers have introduced a new painkiller called ADRIANA, which effectively relieves pain without causing addiction or the severe side effects typically associated with opioids. The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The drug was developed by scientists at Kyoto University. Clinical trials involving both healthy volunteers and patients recovering from surgery—including those who had undergone lung tumor removal—have already been successfully completed. A large-scale clinical trial is now being prepared in the United States in collaboration with the biotech company BTB Therapeutics.

Unlike conventional opioid-based painkillers such as morphine, ADRIANA operates through a different biological pathway. It blocks α2B-adrenoceptors, which leads to an increase in norepinephrine levels and activation of α2A-receptors responsible for pain relief. This mechanism helps to avoid respiratory depression, dependency, and cardiovascular complications.

The developers emphasize that ADRIANA could become the first Japanese non-opioid analgesic and play a key role in addressing the global opioid crisis.