Nutriband to present data on incidence of transdermal patch abuse

Nutriband announced that data on the incidence of transdermal patch abuse and accidental pediatric exposure will be presented at the 2024 American Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting to be held in Scottsdale, Arizona March 7-10, 2024. The company engaged Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety, a division of Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver, Colorado to determine the incidence of abuse and accidental pediatric exposure of transdermal patches containing drugs of abuse in the United States. RMPDS utilized the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance System, a surveillance system that collects real-world safety and effectiveness data about prescription drugs. Transdermal patches are designed to provide an alternative route of administration for opioid or stimulant drugs that are prescribed for treatment of conditions such as chronic pain, opioid use disorder or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Although transdermal versions offer improved pharmacokinetic delivery as well as patient convenience with wear times of up to 7 days, they contain an increased drug payload which can often be a target for recreational drug abusers or subject to accidental pediatric exposure, particularly with infants and toddlers. Abuse of opioids, and in particular fentanyl abuse and overdose, continues to be an epidemic which can lead to the abuse of prescription transdermal fentanyl and other opioid containing transdermal products. According to the FDA1, accidental exposure to medication is a leading cause of poisoning in children. Young children, in particular, have died or become seriously ill after being exposed to a skin patch containing fentanyl, a powerful opioid pain reliever. Children can overdose on new and used fentanyl patches by putting them in their mouth or sticking the patches on their skin. This can cause death by slowing the child’s breathing and decreasing the levels of oxygen in their blood. Nutriband is developing its proprietary Aversa abuse deterrent transdermal technology which can be incorporated into any transdermal patch that contains any drug with a risk of abuse, misuse or accidental exposure. Its Aversa product development pipeline includes abuse deterrent versions of currently approved and marketed transdermal patches containing fentanyl, buprenorphine and methylphenidate which are labeled with FDA-required warnings for the risk of abuse and misuse, as well as warnings against accidental exposure. The study conducted by RMPDS quantified US trends in intentional abuse and misuse and accidental pediatric exposures to fentanyl, buprenorphine, and methylphenidate transdermal patches as well as a comparative evaluation of oral buprenorphine dose forms used in opioid use disorder. The study findings indicate that transdermal patch abuse and accidental pediatric exposures to patches continue to be a serious problem resulting in major medical outcomes and death, suggesting an unmet need for safer abuse deterrent versions of these patches. Full study results will be presented at the AAPM Conference in the abstract poster session.