# Drone-Delivered Naloxone System for Opioid Overdose Treatment

> **NIH NIH R41** · UAS ASSOCIATES LLC · 2020 · $224,725

## Abstract

Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle): Ornato, Joseph, Pasquale
Summary
One hundred thirty Americans die from an opioid overdose (OD) daily. The key to improving this survival is
the timely delivery of the antidote naloxone. Current US Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems are
often unable to deliver the life-saving drug fast enough manner to save the victim’s life. Our uniquely-qualified
team (Virginia UAS, LLC commercial drone pilot training instructors; a Virginia Commonwealth University
(VCU) faculty physician EMS medical director/jet and commercial drone pilot with extensive experience
leading high-impact, multicenter, prehospital NIH clinical trials; and VCU engineers with experience in
development and commercialization of drone hardware and software) has developed a novel prototype drone
system that is interfaced to Richmond’s 9-1-1 dispatch computer. The system automatically loads a 9-1-1
bystander caller’s GPS phone location into a drone and launches it to the scene of an opioid OD carrying a
lightweight, removable, patent-pending, real-time audio/video package (COMMRx) containing naloxone nasal
spray. Just five drones in the City of Richmond could ensure delivery of the naloxone package to bystanders
in ≤2 min as EMS first responders begin racing to the scene. Trained 9-1-1 pilot dispatchers would direct the
bystander to remove COMMRx from the drone, take it to the victim, and administer the naloxone spray long
before first responders can physically reach the victim. This Phase I project proposes to: 1) finalize the
system customization; 2) train/FAA-certify seven 9-1-1 dispatchers drone pilots; and 3) perform realistic
simulation testing of the system to guide design of a Phase II clinical trial to take place in Richmond,
Henrico/Chesterfield counties, and Roanoke, VA. This novel system developed and executed by a uniquely
qualified team shifts the paradigm of prehospital emergency care delivery by empowering and directing
laypersons to initiate time-dependent, life-saving treatment to opioid OD victims long before EMS personnel
can physically treat the patient. Our commercial goal is to expand our flight school business to provide
similar capability throughout the 5,783 9-1-1 centers nationally.
OMB No. 0925-0001/0002 (Rev. 01/18 Approved Through 03/31/2020) Page Continuation Format Page

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10011978
- **Project number:** 1R41DA051293-01
- **Recipient organization:** UAS ASSOCIATES LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph P ORNATO
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $224,725
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10011978

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10011978, Drone-Delivered Naloxone System for Opioid Overdose Treatment (1R41DA051293-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10011978. Licensed CC0.

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