To which drug class does the life-saving substance naloxone belong?
Answer
Opioid antagonists
Naloxone is classified as an opioid antagonist. This classification dictates its precise medical function, which is to rapidly counteract the depressant effects caused by opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, or hydrocodone. It achieves this reversal by binding to the same receptors in the brain that the opioids target, specifically those governing respiratory function.
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