Ferreira DH, Louw S, McCloud P, et al. - Researchers examined if oxycodone vs placebo could reduce chronic breathlessness. In this multisite, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-arm, fixed-dose trial, oral controlled-release oxycodone 15 mg (5 mg, eight hourly) or placebo was administered to 155 adults, with chronic breathlessness (modified Medical Research Council Scale 3 or 4), who were opioid-naive (74 oxycodone and 81 placebo). For both arms, as-needed immediate-release morphine (2.5 mg per dose; six and less doses/day) was available as required by one ethics committee overseeing the trial. Placebo participants required more as-needed morphine (mean 7.0 vs 4.2 doses). Nausea was more frequent among oxycodone participants. Overall, findings suggest no benefit of oxycodone over placebo