PLA and PCL from PolySciTech used in development of opioid abuse deterrent system to prevent smoking of thebaine

 

Opioids provide for pain relief however, due to narcotic and addictive effects, are widely misused and abused. Systems which discourage misuse of opioids by seeking alternate routes of intake (i.e. smoking or injecting components from pills that are meant to be injested) than the prescribed method can reduce opportunites for misuse. Recently, Researchers at Purdue University used PLA (cat# AP006) and PCL (cat# AP257) from PolySciTech Division of Akina, Inc. (www.polyscitech.com) to create a microsphere formulation to combine in with oral doses of opioids which make smoking the tablets impractical. Read more: Vasiukhina, Anastasiia, Sheryhan F. Gad, Elyssia N. Wellington, Danielle M. Wilmes, Yoon Yeo, and Luis Solorio. "PLA-PCL Microsphere Formulation to Deter Abuse of Prescription Opioids by Smoking." International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2022): 122151. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378517322007050

“Abstract: Opioids are commonly prescribed across the United States (US) for pain relief, despite their highly addictive nature that often leads to abuse and overdose deaths. Abuse deterrent formulations (ADFs) for prescription opioids make the non-therapeutic use of these drugs more difficult and less satisfying. Although approximately one-third of surveyed abusers in the US reported smoking opioids, to our knowledge, no commercialized ADF effectively prevents opioid smoking. Here, we report a novel approach to deter smoking of a model prescription opioid drug, thebaine (THB), by using polymer blend microspheres (MS) comprising polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL). We utilized high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to test the ability of PLA-PCL MS to limit the escape of vaporized THB. Additionally, we compared the abuse-deterrent potential of PLA-PCL MS to that of activated carbon (AC) and mesoporous silica (MPS), two materials with excellent drug-adsorbing properties. Our MS formulation was effective in reducing the amount of both active drug and thermal degradation products in the vapor generated upon heating of THB. These results support that PLA-PCL microspheres can be co-formulated in a tablet with common prescription opioids to deter their abuse via the smoking route.”