Tectin (drug)

Tectin is the brand name of a pain killing drug currently in development by WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc. that is derived from the pufferfish. The drug comes from a toxin in the fish called tetrodotoxin, a very potent neurotoxin which shuts down electrical signaling in nerves by binding to the pores of sodium channel proteins in nerve cell membranes. It holds promise to relieve severe pain when other standard pain relievers are found to be ineffective. It is also being researched as a drug to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal in opiate addicts.