Breakthrough brings non-addictive opioid alternatives a step closer

Key discovery around brain's receptor proteins could help develop painkiller substitutes, raising hopes of an eventual end to global opioid addiction crisis

The prospect of a non-addictive alternatives to morphine and other opioids has moved a step closer as scientists say they have cracked a key challenge in developing safe and effective substitute painkillers.

Overuse of highly addictive opioids has led to a health crisis across the world, especially in the US where more than 60,000 people died after overdoses in 2016 alone; president Donald Trump has declared the epidemic a public health emergency.