Impacts of the Opioid Crisis
How did this happen?
After OxyContin was launched in 1996 and pain became a 5th vital sign, opioid prescriptions increased, fueling a rise in opioid deaths. When there was a crackdown in prescription opioids, illicit markets filled the void and overall, overdoses have skyrocketed. Opioid deaths surpassed automobile deaths in 2016, and fatal opioid overdoses accelerated as synthetic opioids flooded the streets.
Despite a substantial reduction in opioid prescriptions, fatalities from prescription opioid overdoses remain unchanged. While grandiose and scientifically unfounded claims have been made by pharmaceutical companies working on abuse-deterrent opioid formulations (ADFs), they have offered little to no benefit in addressing the current opioid crisis.
Opioid Use Disorder + Fatal Overdose
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Over 80k
people died in the 12-months ended September 2023 from opioid overdose
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#1
cause of death in the U.S. for adults 18-45 is opioid overdose
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9.3M
people in the U.S. are misusing prescription opioids (2.7M suffer from Opioid Use Disorder)
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40%
of people misusing opioids obtain them through friends and family
A Pendulum Swing Has Led To Under-treated Pain
Because non-opioid options are ineffective and existing opioids have no protection against their inherent risks, moderate-to-severe acute pain (e.g., post-operative pain) is not adequately managed in greater than 80% of patients in the US and is associated with increased morbidity, functional and quality-of-life impairment, delayed recovery time, prolonged duration of opioid use, higher healthcare costs, and is predictive of the development of chronic pain.
As shown in our human study, our SMART opioids, led by O2P hydrocodone, mitigate the major risks associated with existing prescription opioids without sacrificing their superior analgesic efficacy, especially when compared to currently marketed non-opioid alternatives and those in development.”
150 countries restrict the use of opioids, for fear of their current dangerous attributes. Elysium’s SMART products address these dangers, opening up incredible opportunities for opioids to enter international markets.
The vast majority (over 90%) of acute use opioid abuse is via ingesting multiple intact tablets in excess of the prescribed dose.
The CDC recognizes the important role of opioids in treating moderate-to-severe acute pain, and Elysium’s vision is to establish a new standard for opioid safety in the pharmaceutical industry. Elysium’s SMART opioids for pain leverage its O2P technology, a proprietary bifunctional prodrug design, which attenuates the release of the opioid when “supratherapeutic” (more than recommended) doses are ingested.
Results from our O2P hydrocodone Phase 1 study address key issues of existing opioids that too often lead to abuse, addiction, and death by providing meaningful protection against oral overdose; and significantly reducing the number of tablets prescribed.
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Easy to Abuse + Overdose
The primary route of abuse is by swallowing too many pills. Euphoria increases with volume consumed. This creates incentive to take more, which can lead to overdose.
Learn About Our Solution
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Rescue Agents Too Short-Acting
Existing rescue agents are weak against synthetic opioids (often requiring multiple doses) and short-acting, often leaving friends and family unable to rescue loved ones.
Learn About Our Solution
Join us in our mission to redefine safety in the opioid industry.
Like the airbags and seatbelts in the auto industry, we have the innovation that can save countless lives. We need partners who share our heart for this issue, have funds to fuel this initiative, and have the political will to help push this initiative forward.
Want to join us? Contact us today.