NSU Horizons Fall 2017

27 NSU HORIZONS T wo research teams at NSU’s College of Pharmacy are developing different projects with the potential to reduce health care costs and save lives: A self-administered epinephrine tablet to treat severe allergic reactions and tamper- resistant pills using abuse-deterrent technologies to battle the epidemic of opioid abuse. Mutasem Rawas-Qalaji, Ph.D., associate professor at the college and director of NSU’s Center for Drug Discovery and Development, is filling a need in the health-consumer market by creating a new epin- ephrine tablet—an innovation that may drastically improve the lives of children and adults who require epinephrine to combat allergic reactions. Developed by Rawas-Qalaji with the help of his Ph.D. and Pharm.D. students, the sublingual epinephrine tablet disintegrates rapidly under the patient’s tongue and releases epinephrine that is absorbed directly into the blood stream. CONVENIENT, PATIENT-FRIENDLY “These tablets would offer a more convenient, patient- friendly, and less invasive method for self-administering epinephrine,” Rawas-Qalaji said. “This will reduce the level of patient anxiety and the errors associated with self- administered epinephrine injections, and combat the costs associated with other methods of self-administration.” Patients suffering from anaphylaxis, a severe and poten- tially fatal allergic reaction requiring immediate treatment, use epinephrine. Foods such as peanuts, fish, and shellfish, as well as latex and some medications are some of the causes of anaphylactic shock. “Unfortunately, the onset of anaphylactic reactions is very rapid,” Rawas-Qalaji said. “Usually, the patient can feel the early signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, such as red rashes, swelling, some wheezing, difficulty breathing, and abdomi- nal discomfort (including cramps, diarrhea, or vomiting). When the patient starts to feel these symptoms, it’s impor- tant to administer epinephrine immediately.” Today, the commonly prescribed, available type of self- medication is an epinephrine auto injector—known as an EpiPen®—for which consumers have seen a 500-percent price increase in 10 years. “Some patients don’t like to inject themselves and some- times there’s an anxiety associated with administering the epinephrine injection,” Rawas-Qalaji said. “The new tablet will break down in a few seconds under the patient’s tongue. It releases and ensures that the drug will be available for absorption through the sublingual mucosa. It can deliver and reach the same concentration achieved by the injection.” Research Mutasem Rawas-Qalaji, left, with the help of his Ph.D. and Pharm.D. students, is developing an epinephrine tablet that disintegrates rapidly under the patient’s tongue. continued on next page