A lot of people are reliant on medication to treat pain that simply fails to respond to ther types of treatment. These, by their very nature are very strong, since theya re dealing with pain that is almost constant and stubbornly refuses to respond to treatment. Often these medications are opiate based and the most famous of these is morphine. However, there is a new kid on the block in terms of medication for severe pain: Targinact. It is not prescribed comprehensively within the NHS, with many PCTs having advised that it is not cost effective. However, increasingly it is starting to be prescribed as its use becomes more valued and there is growing evidence that Targinact can be extremely useful in treating patients who find that their pain responds to opiate based medication.
What Is Targinact?
Targinact is effectively a powerful combination of two different ingredients, namely naloxene and oxycodone. One, the oxycodone is an opioid painkiller and the naloxene is an effective opioid ‘antagonist’.
The opioid painkiller tricks the brain into feeling that ‘feel good’ endorphins have been released. In turn the nerves respond by sending fewer pain signals to the brain, so pain levels are reduced.
Morphine also works by reducing pain, but on the other hand it can usually cause severe constipation, which is why it is viewed as being an unpopular medication for many. But with Targinact, the naloxene ensures constipation is reduced, so it offers a great alternative to opiate based medication.
Targinact and The UK ‘Prix Galien’ Medal For Innovation 2010
Every year a medal is awarded to a new drug, which is reconition of the fat that it has been an important breakthrough in terms of innovation within the pharmaceutical industry. This medal is the ‘Prix Galien’ and is highly sought after and regarded within pharmaceutical circles as being the Nobel Prize when it comes to discovering new medications.
Targinact is one of only 6 medications that have been shortlisted for the 2010 Prix Galien, with the overall winner being announced in October 2010, at the prestigious venue of the House of Lords, no less. The judging panel is headed by the Chairman of NICE (the National Institute for Clinical Excellence) Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, who along with the other members of the panel were seeking medicines that were able to offer the most significant contribution to patients and Targinact is one of the 6 chosen as being the potentially the most significant.
The inclusion of Targinact may not be surprising, yet it should be considered that the medication itself was only launched as recently as 2009 and it has already been shortlisted for the Prix Galien in 2010, so it has already been recognised as being an outstanding medication in only a short space of time, since very few medicines are seen as being of sufficient significance to be shortlisted for this award.
It is therefore reasonable to assume that the success of Targinact will continue to expand given that in only a year’s use, it is being hailed as a powerful medical breakthrough! So it certainly would seem to be a very effective and powerful tool in the treatment of severe pain!
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