Antibody Created To Neutralize Deadly Opioid Overdoses

Antibody Created To Neutralize Deadly Opioid Overdoses

Introduction

According to preclinical experiments, scientists created an antibody that has a great chance of undoing the fatal consequences of a carfentanil overdose.

A lot of overdoses occur because carfentanil, a strong variation of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, is frequently combined with illegal substances. This recently developed antibody successfully reverses carfentanil-induced respiratory depression in rats by binding strongly to carfentanil, fentanyl, and other variations.

In comparison to existing approaches, the finding shows potential for a more effective, long-lasting therapy for synthetic opioid overdoses.

It has been demonstrated that the novel antibody can prevent respiratory depression, a typical lethal consequence of opiate overdoses brought on by carfentanil, the deadliest fentanyl analogue. Due to its strong affinity for fentanyl and its derivatives and tendency to linger in the body, the medication, which is given by a straightforward intramuscular injection, may provide long-term protection. This month will see the start of FDA-approved clinical studies for the IgG variant of this antibody, CSX-1004, to see how well it works to prevent fentanyl overdoses.

They demonstrated in animals that the most harmful of the variations, carfentanil, can produce a potentially fatal respiratory depression that can be reversed by providing an antibody solution soon after an overdose. According to the findings, compared to currently available treatments for synthetic opioid overdose, the antibody may be more effective and persist longer.

Mu-opioid receptors are neuronal receptors that opioid medications, whether they are synthetic or derived from the opium poppy, bind to and activate. Because these receptors are found on several kinds of neurons throughout the human nervous system, opioid medicines have a variety of effects, including pain alleviation and pleasure as well as respiratory depression, which causes slower and shallower breathing.

The immediate cause of death in the tens of thousands of fatal opioid overdoses that take place each year in the United States is respiratory depression. After fentanyl, carfentanil is the synthetic opioid that is most frequently discovered in illegal substances in the United States. The FDA removed it from the market in 2018 due to its potential for abuse and its probable fatality at dosages measured in micrograms. It was once lawful and used as a tranquillizer for big animals.

The mu-opioid receptor blockers naloxone and naltrexone are currently used to treat overdoses of fentanyl and carfentanil, however even at high dosages, these therapies are occasionally ineffective against synthetic opioids.