New Oral Opioid Analgesics Approved by the FDA, Soon to Become Available in the U.S.
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted final approval of the company's extended-release and immediate-release formulations of oxymorphone hydrochloride. These products are now known under the trade names Opana ER tablets and Opana tablets. Click here to read more.

With Every Breath We Take
By Tracy Zuckerman
With every breath we take, oxygen rich air flows through our lungs into the bloodstream, nourishing our bodies. From birth, breathing calms, nurtures, consoles and brings us back into the moment — the here and now. When pain strikes, we are caught off guard and our bodies react by increasing our heart rates while our breathing becomes shallow. Often times, when pain is chronic, it is difficult to turn off that "fight or flight" response and slow our breathing. Click here to read more about how Tracy uses breathing to relax her body.

Report — Congressional Briefing on Pain
More than 100 congressional staffers and pain advocates attended the Congressional Briefing on Pain, June 13, 2006, on Capitol Hill. The room was packed and over-flowing into the hall, as Rep. Mike Rogers, Rep. Charlie Norwood and featured speakers passionately shared the facts about pain, the personal and economic impact of this "silent epidemic," and the critical need for federal pain policy and legislation. Read the report from this important event.

Disparities in Pain — Children
By Elisa Martinez
Chronic pain is a condition that affects people of all ages. Though pain is mostly thought of as an adult problem, children also are affected by chronic pain — sometimes more so as this is a condition that is mostly ignored or overlooked in children. Simply, pain is not as widely accepted a problem in children as it is in adults or the elderly population. Click here to read more about the disparities in pain related to age.

New Topical Pain Reliever Approved
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the commercial availability of Synera, a topical anesthetic patch (lidocaine 70mg and tetracaine 70mg) for the prevention of pain associated with needle sticks and some skin procedures in patients three years of age and and older. Click here to read more.