The US researchers have identified a new compound named bononicaine, which offers longer lasting pain killer effects. The compound is beneficial especially in treating sports injuries or in joint replacement procedures.

Lidocaine is the short term pain killer used as an injectable pain reliever in minor surgical or dental procedures, or as a topical ointment or spray to relieve itching, burning and pain from shingles, sunburns, jellyfish stings and insect bites. By changing the chemical structure of lidocaine, the scientists developed boronicaine that lasted five times longer than lidocaine.

In pre-clinical, early stage studies, boronicaine provided about 25 minutes of relief, compared to about five minutes of pain relief with lidocaine.

"Because of its versatility and effectiveness at quickly numbing pain in targeted areas, lidocaine has been the gold standard in local anaesthetics for more than 50 years," said lead author of the study George Kracke, associate professor at University of Missouri. "Although some conditions may warrant the use of a short-lasting painkiller, in many cases a longer lasting anaesthetic is a better option”, he added.

By providing long lasting anaesthetic effect, it also reduces the dosage or number of doses needed, limiting the potential for adverse side effects.

The study was published in the journal ChemMedChem.

By Lizitha