Predrag Cudic

Abstract

Chronic pain impacts over 1.5 billion adults worldwide and is the leading cause of long-term disability. Pharmacologic treatment options include pain medications such as non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids. Unfortunately, some patients with chronic pain will not find relief with non-opioid medications and prescription opioids are associated with severe adverse effects including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, tolerance, addiction, and overdose that may lead to respiratory depression and death. Approximately, 2.1 million people in the United States suffered from an opioid use disorder (OUD) related to prescription opioids. Thus, new technologies are needed to decrease pain without side effects.

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have developed an intranasal drug delivery platform based on a cyclic peptide that promotes adhesion to the nasal mucosa and is suitable for structural modifications to accommodate a variety of central nervous system (CNS) active compounds. Once bound to the mucosa, the active compound is absorbed into the brain to elicit the desired effect. Through different in vivo experiments, the researchers have demonstrated that their system can deliver opioid receptor agonists and antagonists to the nasal cavity and the brain. In addition, the treatment led to significant effects in animal models of acute and chronic pain without observable adverse effects.

FAU seeks to advance this technology into the marketplace through licensing or development partnerships.

Benefit

Market Application

Publications

In vitro characterization of odorranalectin for peptide‑based drug delivery across the blood–brain barrier