A little-known morphinelike drug is potentially more potent, longer lasting and less likely to cause constipation than standard morphine, a study led by a Loyola University Health System anesthesiologist has found. The drug, morphine-6-0-sulfate, has a similar chemical structure to standard morphine. Dr. Joseph Holtman Jr. and colleagues reported that a study they performed in rats "demonstrated potential clinical advantages of morphine-6-0-sulfate compared to morphine." Holtman is first author of the study, published in the December 2010 issue of the European Journal of Pharmacology. - Libby's H*O*P*E*