Aptar, Noble and dne pharma tackle opioid crisis with rescue treatment trainer kit

22 Mar 2021 --- Aptar Pharma and Noble are partnering with dne pharma to deliver a ready-to-use rescue treatment for quickly reversing the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose.

Aptar Pharma is a global leader in drug delivery systems, services and active packaging solutions and Noble – an Aptar Pharma company – is a specialist in drug delivery training device programs. Meanwhile, dne pharma is a leader in addiction medicine in Northern Europe.

The partners’ Ventizolve rescue treatment uses Aptar Pharma’s patented Unidose Liquid System. Noble’s Unidose trainer kit replicates Aptar Pharma’s Unidose device.

The trainer kit will be used by dne pharma as part of a broad patient onboarding and awareness program in outreach and drug treatment centers across the Nordics.

The solution is reportedly the first of its kind for a naloxone nasal drug product launch.

The opioid crisis
According to The World Health Organization, opioids and opioid overdoses account for more than 70 percent of the half a million drug-use-related deaths reported annually worldwide.

In its Opioid Task Force 2020 Progress Report, the American Medical Association says a “continuing increase in drug overdoses is fueling the evolution of a more dangerous and complicated epidemic,” and urges stakeholders to come together to work collaboratively on meaningful action to remove barriers and increase patient access to evidence-based care, both to save lives and help end the epidemic.

Dne pharma is among a new generation of industry disruptors repurposing existing therapies for nasal drug delivery.Dne pharma’s focus is on improving existing treatments within addiction therapy. Nina Måsvær, marketing manager at dne pharma, explains: “With the growing opioid overdose epidemic, we were fortunate to collaborate with Professor Ola Dale at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim on the development of a nasal naloxone sprayer for pre-hospital and take-home use and were able to secure final use approval for Ventizolve in 12 European countries in 2018.”

Ready-to-use rescue treatment
Aptar Pharma’s Unidose Liquid System is the drug delivery device used to administer Ventizolve and is a ready-to-use, one-step nasal device designed to enable the delivery of a precise, single-dose quickly, easily and reliably, and without the need for administration by a trained professional.

“With over 100 million devices sold worldwide, our patented Unidose Technology Platforms are approved by the US FDA and European regulatory authorities for a wide range of treatments from chronic conditions such as migraine and vitamin B12 deficiency to life-saving drugs that counter an opioid overdose,” explains Isabelle Menard, director of strategy and business integration at Aptar Pharma.

Noble is providing the training and onboarding component with its Unidose training device that replicates the form and function of Aptar Pharma’s Unidose drug delivery device.

The Unidose training device features a novel twist reset function, making it easier for users and caregivers to practice administering a dose quickly and effectively.

Nasal drug delivery
Dne pharma is among a new generation of industry disruptors making their mark by repurposing existing therapies for nasal drug delivery, with benefits such as better patient convenience, greater personal empowerment, improved user compliance, and in some cases, overcoming objections to more invasive delivery routes.

More importantly, in the case of a rescue treatment, the recipient does not need a healthcare professional to administer the drug, which could be life-critical in an emergency where, for example, the patient is unconscious.

“Aptar Pharma’s expertise in drug repurposing using nasal delivery solutions, combined with Noble’s innovative training and onboarding platform, make them the perfect partners to support us in bringing this life-saving drug product to market,” concludes Måsvær.

Edited by Joshua Poole