In late 2004, the FDA approved a new type
of drug for the alleviation of severe and
intractable chronic pain. The drug, called
ziconotide (Prialt), is a synthetic analog
of a toxin produced by the Conus
magus, or magician’s cone snail, which
is native to coral reefs in the Pacific
Ocean and uses its venom to paralyze
fish. Although the new drug is said to
be 1,000 times more effective than morphine
and non-addictive, it has only been
approved for use in implantable pumps for
AIDS, cancer, and neuralgia patients whose
pain does not respond to opioids. It is unlikely
to be used for less severe pain because it
can have neurological side effects such as
dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion. However,
there are 500 species of snails in the Conus
genus, each of which produces 100 different
toxins, so future research may uncover a more
easily tolerated painkiller in this new class of drugs.
Furthermore, research is currently being conducted on
neurotoxins from other sources, such as blowfish
poison, for the relief of pain.