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New single-dose innovation offers hope in opioid crisis
For patients facing an opioid overdose, timing is everything. Naloxone, a life-saving antidote, usually works for only 30 to 90 minutes, but fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, can linger in the body for hours. Mamoun M. Alhamadsheh, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical chemistry, and his team have found a way to extend that window for at least seven days.
鈥淭his technology represents a new frontier in drug delivery systems,鈥� said Dr. Alhamadsheh. 鈥淚ts ability to extend the duration of action of small molecules, such as naloxone, could save lives in acute opioid emergencies and be applied to a wide range of therapeutic areas.鈥�
Their breakthrough, published in , introduces a first-of-its-kind delivery platform derived from Acoramidis, a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug co-discovered by Dr. Alhamadsheh in collaboration with Isabella A. Graef, MD, CEO of Shenandoah Therapeutics and former Stanford University faculty member. This new system forms a depot under the skin, releasing naloxone gradually and precisely for at least one week from a single injection, dramatically surpassing the one-hour window provided by conventional doses.
From left: Rasha Emara 鈥�25, PhD, Mamoun M. Alhamadsheh, PhD, Hala Aldawod 鈥�24, PhD
Leading the charge alongside Dr. Alhamadsheh was Hala Aldawod 鈥�24, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow and first author of the study.
鈥淜nowing our work could save lives, particularly among vulnerable populations, drives my passion for innovation,鈥� Dr. Aldawod said. 鈥淭his work gave me a deeper sense of purpose and showed me how science can directly change and save lives.鈥�
The contributions of fellow Pacific researchers and co-first authors Arjun Patel 鈥�24, PharmD, PhD and Rasha Emara 鈥�25, PhD were integral to advancing this breakthrough. The project was supported in part by a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
As the opioid crisis continues to affect communities across the country, this new approach offers a powerful tool for long-term protection. It鈥檚 a reminder of what鈥檚 possible when research, innovation and purpose come together to shape the future of patient care.
