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An important "first dive" into data from the 4-site Outcomes of Babies with Opioid Exposure (OBOE) study features a Cincinnati Children's expert as co-first author CINCINNATI, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- When pregnant women take opioids during pregnancy, even opioids such as buprenorphine or methadone to treat opioid use disorder, the developing brains of their children can be significantly affected, according to a study published April 7, 2025, in JAMA Pediatrics. Continue Reading Antenatal opioid exposure is associated with smaller neonatal brain volumes, with varying impact depending on the type and number of exposures, according to research published in JAMA Pediatrics. Stephanie Merhar, MD, MS, at Cincinnati Children's was first co-author. Total brain volume was nearly 5% smaller among 173 newborns with antenatal opioid exposure compared to 96 unexposed newborns, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. More specifically, reduced volumes among opioid-exposed newborns occurred in cortical gray matter, deep gray matter, white matter, cerebellum, brainstem, and the right and left amygdala. There were notable differences in the location and scale of the effects, which varied depending on the type of opioid involved, and whether other drugs were also taken during pregnancy. "We have known for a while that children exposed to opioids during pregnancy are at risk of later developmental and behavioral problems, but it was hard to know whether that was due to the opioids themselves or other factors such as other exposures or lower birth weight," says co-first author Stephanie Merhar, MD, MS, a neonatologist at Cincinnati Children's. "This study was launched because we needed a large study where we were able to control for things like nicotine exposure and birth weight. Our next step is to follow the children in the study to see whether having smaller brain volumes in the newborn period affects later development and behavior." The double-threat opioids pose to mothers and children Nearly 1 in 12 newborns in the United States in 2020 – or about 300,000 infants – were exposed to alcohol, opioids, marijuana or cocaine before they were born, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Prenatal substance exposure in rural areas often exceeds overall national averages. Opioids include illegal drugs like heroin and fentanyl, prescription drugs like oxycodone and hydrocodone, and medications for opioid use disorder like buprenorphine and methadone. Opioid use often goes hand in hand with smoking and use of other substances such as alcohol and marijuana. This study compared newborns born to mothers who took opioids only and newborns born to mothers who used other substances as well as opioids. Newborns exposed to opioids plus other substances had smaller brain volumes in more regions compared to those exposed to opioids only. The most common opioids among participants in the new study were buprenorphine (68.8%) and methadone (26%). Both of these opioids are routinely used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and are both recommended for treatment of OUD during pregnancy by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "We know that buprenorphine and methadone are life-saving medications for women with OUD," Merhar says. "We don't want to imply that women with OUD should wean off these medications, but we agree with the ACOG recommendation for more research on medically supervised withdrawal in pregnant women." The study was praised in an accompanying editorial penned by Nethra Madurai, MD, and Lauren Jantzie, PhD, both of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Other small studies have shown fetal brain changes caused by opioids. But this multi-center study is the first to be large enough to convincingly distinguish effects linked to opioids versus confounding factors such as maternal smoking, birth weight, education levels. The study authors "present compelling evidence of the direct effects of opioids on the developing brain," the editorial states. "Given the prospective design of the trial, they account for other postnatal factors…allowing us to dispel previous uncertainty surrounding the direct impacts of opioids on the brain vs the confounding effects of other environmental factors." What's next? Having more precise information about the affected parts of the brain could allow scientists to focus on interventions to support healthy brain development for children born after opioid exposure. "Indeed, we must shift our focus beyond the initial withdrawal symptoms associated with POE [prenatal opioid exposure] if we are to improve the lifelong health and well-being of infants and children impacted by the opioid epidemic," the editorial states. Read more about Merhar's research related to opioid exposure: 'Eat, Sleep, Console' Approach Slashes ICU Stays for Opioid-Exposed Newborns In Utero Opioid Exposure Impacts Fetal Brain Size and Development $8M Grant Funds Long-Term Opioid Exposure Study SOURCE Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Synthetic Opioid Overdose Prevention and Reversal (SOOPR™) targets an unmet challenge in the illicit opioid crisis as current rescue medications are not designed for synthetic opioids, including oral fentanyl. LYONS, Colo., April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Elysium Therapeutics, an emerging biopharmaceutical company developing treatments specifically designed to rescue and reverse overdoses caused by oral opioids, including synthetic opioids like fentanyl, announced its plan to accelerate development of its Synthetic Opioid Overdose Prevention and Reversal (SOOPR™) technology. The company has completed in vivo proof-of-concept studies and expects to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in 2026. SOOPR is a rapid-onset, long-acting rescue agent specifically designed to address overdose from synthetic opioids, including oral fentanyl. SOOPR utilizes a proprietary long-acting naloxone prodrug formulation with faster onset kinetics versus Narcan® delivered via long-acting injection (LAI) technology. The technology is designed to rapidly restore respiration and provide 18 to 24 hours of effective opioid blockade to minimize the risk of re-narcotization, while also providing protection from same-day re-use of opioids. "Fentanyl overdoses often require very high, or repeated, doses of short-acting opioid antagonists to effect a successful rescue," said Greg Sturmer, Co-Founder and CEO of Elysium Therapeutics. "Unfortunately, many who overdose face a rapid recurrence of symptoms, known as re-narcotization, which can lead to respiratory depression and increase the likelihood of hypoxic brain injury or death. SOOPR is designed to address this situation, and Elysium is now focused on advancing its development as a potential first-ever, faster-onset, longer-acting opioid rescue therapy specifically intended to treat fentanyl overdose." Currently approved short-acting opioid antagonists like Narcan and Opvee® were designed to effectively counteract overdoses from opioids such as heroin and oxycodone. However, these rescue agents are frequently ineffective in the management of synthetic opioid overdoses1, with 20 to 45% of overdose victims initially rescued with naloxone experiencing a re-narcotization event. According to reports from multiple state-affiliated health agencies, 31 to 39% of fentanyl overdose decedents had been administered naloxone.2 Data from in vivo proof-of-concept studies of SOOPR demonstrated a more rapid onset of action versus naloxone (Narcan) and a significantly longer duration of action. This profile is especially useful in counteracting oral fentanyl overdoses associated with prolonged fentanyl absorption and exposure that often outlast the short-acting profile of Narcan. "In designing SOOPR, Elysium recognized that synthetic opioids – now the number one killer of adults aged 18 to 45 in the U.S. – are particularly lethal," said Tom Jenkins, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Elysium Therapeutics. "Patients initially treated with a rapid-acting, long-duration reversal agent, such as SOOPR, are expected to have less risk of hypoxic brain injury, cardiovascular events, re-narcotization, and death. Further, rescue interventions with SOOPR are expected to require less intensive monitoring in both the ambulance and emergency department and increase the likelihood of survival. Additionally, SOOPR is designed to be delivered by intramuscular injection, either using a pre-filled syringe or autoinjector, which has been demonstrated to be more rapid and predictable than intranasal delivery in urgent settings, where every second counts." "In addition to preventing overdose deaths from recreational, illicit use, the Department of Defense (DOD) has made clear the importance of improving opioid overdose rescue as a needed medical countermeasure," added Sturmer. "The DOD reported that the availability of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and its derivatives, represents a significant threat as a chemical weapon, which could be easily disseminated as a weapon of mass destruction into air, water or food supplies, putting countless lives at risk. We look forward to working with defense and government organizations as we develop SOOPR as a tool to prevent injury and death in these worrisome scenarios." About SOOPR™ (Synthetic Opioid Overdose Prevention and Rescue) SOOPR (Synthetic Opioid Overdose Prevention and Reversal) is a rapid-onset, long-acting rescue agent specifically designed to address overdose from synthetic opioids, including oral fentanyl. SOOPR utilizes a proprietary long-acting naloxone reversal formulation with faster onset kinetics versus Narcan® delivered via long-acting injection (LAI) technology. The technology is designed to rapidly restore respiration and provide 18 – 24 hours of effective opioid blockade to minimize the risk of re-narcotization, while also providing protection from same-day re-use of opioids. SOOPR has been endorsed by first responders and OUD treatment professionals as the effective solution urgently needed to address the global opioid overdose epidemic. About Elysium Therapeutics Elysium is an emerging biopharmaceutical company developing treatments specifically designed to rescue and reverse overdoses caused by oral synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. Elysium is working to establish new standards of safety in the opioid industry by developing SMART™ (Safer Medicines Alleviate Risks and Trauma) products, first- and best-in-class medicines that address the limitations and dangers associated with opioids and overdose rescue agents to reduce suffering from opioid-use disorder, opioid overdose, and acute pain. Elysium's lead technology, SOOPR™ (Synthetic Opioid Overdose Prevention and Reversal), is a long-acting opioid antagonist specifically designed to address oral synthetic opioid, including fentanyl, overdose. Tens of thousands of unnecessary overdose deaths each year exemplifies the critical shortcomings of currently available rescue agents, including naloxone and nalmefene. In addition, Elysium is developing oral-overdose protected (O2P™) hydrocodone for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain. For more information, please visit . 1 Rachael Rzasa Lynn and JL Galinkin Ther Adv Drug Saf 2018, Vol. 9(1) 63–88 (Also see footnotes 8, 9, and 10 for additional discussion). 2 Watson, W.A., Steele, M.T., Muelleman, R.L., Rush, M.D., 1998. Opioid toxicity recurrence after an initial response to naloxone. J. Toxicol. Clin. Toxicol. 36 (1-2), 11–17. . SOURCE Elysium Therapeutics WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED