J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2022 05 13;381(2):129-136. Epub 2022 Feb 13.
Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota (C.A.B., M.M.W., M.P.); Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota (M.M.W.); Reno School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada (S.G.P., J.A.-U., D.A.); University of Minnesota Center for Immunology, Minneapolis, Minnesota (M.P.); and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington (M.P.).
The incidence of fatal drug overdoses in the United States is an alarming public health threat that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in over 100,000 deaths between April 2020 and April 2021. A significant portion of this is attributable to widespread access to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, alone or in combination with heroin or psychostimulants, such as cocaine or methamphetamine. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) offer prophylactic and therapeutic interventions against opioid overdose by binding opioids in serum, reducing distribution of drug to the brain and other organs. Read More