R&D round-up: Non-opioid painkiller space heats up

As the MHRA announced that it would be convening an Expert Working Group (EWG) to assess the risks and benefits of opioid medicines and see if current UK regulation is up to scratch, Merck & Co announced a deal with King’s College London (KCL) and Wellcome to investigate a new class of painkiller that could provide an alternative to opioids.