Opioid pain killers are sometimes a potential target for intentional/recreational abuse, leading to disrupted lives and families. We are looking to find novel ways to control the release of active substances and to combat intentional abuse, thereby protecting users from potential harm.
Currently, the drugs are designed in such a way that the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is immediately released in the stomach and absorbed in the bloodstream, rapidly relieving the patient from his/her pain.
In case multiple doses are taken all at once, a potentially toxic amount of API immediately gets into the user’s bloodstream.
Are you aware of technology which may prevent such intentional overdosing?
Possible approaches include, but are not limited to:
- Gel forming molecules
- Smart polymers
- Nanoparticles/ Nanotechnology
- Novel (bio based-) materials
- Trigger-driven entrapment
- Pulse-activated scavengers
- Flocculating (bio) molecules
We are not interested in:
- Packaging devices for controlled dispense of the dosage forms
- Adverse compounds e.g. no emetic causing vomiting reflex
- Substances that are explicitly proven to be toxic
Liposomal encapsulation
Depot formulation for sustained release by transdermal delivery systems
Polymer coating technology
Extended release tablet formulations etc...
Nop. There is no such technology available at the moment.
The reason is that no matter how or how much you may be able to slow-down or control the release or transport of an administered drug, nothing will avert a user from ingesting multiple items (tablets, capsules or other) of the product, hence building up an additive concentration to reach the intended.
So, unless you invent a technology that doesn't obey the law of addition, i don't see any method from blocking the additive effect while at the same time allowing a single dose.
In my mind, the only way to go around this issue, is pharmacology. Example: targinact. It's an opioid product that averts recreational abusers to purchase the tablets for the intention to melt down and inject per IV (which is what drug addicts do). This is because it contains oxycodone + naloxone, so direct IV injection won't produce a 'high'.
Of course targinact does not avert oral abusers or overdose risks from multiple oral ingestions (since oral naloxone has low bioavailability and acts only in the GI), but i'm mentioning this just as an example of how we can use pharmacology to manipulate problems.
There are some patents with this kind of technology.
Solution is possible by use of osmotic membrane. When membrane senses molecule out side the membrane, it will not release content inside membrane.
Does anyone dealing with similar technology?
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