Scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered a new synthetic opioid compound, N-desethyl-fluornitrazene (DFNZ), that could potentially provide an effective pain reliever without the risk of addiction or withdrawal. DFNZ's therapeutic effects have been compared to methadone and may also be used as a treatment for opioid addiction. The researchers found that DFNZ produced a sustained increase in brain oxygen and did not trigger dependency or withdrawal, unlike other opioids like heroin, morphine and fentanyl. The discovery could help in the fight against chronic pain and opioid addiction in the US, with an estimated 80,000 people expected to die from an opioid overdose in 2023.