Fentanyl makeover: Core structural redesign could lead to safer pain medications

Fentanyl is one of the most effective drugs for managing severe pain, yet it carries substantial risks of addiction and respiratory depression, the dangerous and sometimes fatal slowed breathing. These safety concerns have limited the use of the drug despite how well it works. Meanwhile, the ease and low cost of manufacturing have enabled widespread illegal production, fueling an overdose epidemic that claimed more than 70,000 U.S. lives in 2023.