News Chemistry

Natural pain-killing chemical synthesized

Making conolidine in the lab could further drug research

By Rachel Ehrenberg

- More than 2 years ago

Chemists have synthesized in the lab a pain-relieving extract from the bark of a tropical shrub, paving the way for new drugs that lack the unwanted side effects of many opiate-based pain meds.

A compound from crepe jasmine (above) that shows promise as a pain reliever has been synthesized in the lab, a feat that should kick off hard-core explorations of the compound’s drug potential.