# Depot formulations for on-demand tamper- and diversion-proof delivery of opioids

> **NIH NIH R21** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2024 · $267,000

## Abstract

Summary
Opioids are commonly prescribed for a variety of acute and chronic pain states. Unfortunately,
prescribed opioids can be tampered with or diverted, both of which can have severe
consequences (e.g., lethal overdose). Tamper-resistant formulations have had limited success,
and cannot prevent diversion of drugs. Injectable formulations that can deposit an extended
course of treatment in the body would make diversion nearly impossible once administered, but
most, if stolen, can still be tampered with (and the opioid extracted) by relatively simple means.
Importantly, once administered to patients, they deliver drugs at a rate that does not change
with the varying needs of the patient. They are therefore unusable for acute pain: if opioids were
continuously released at a rate adequate for acute pain, patients would be narcotized for
extended periods. Here, we propose to develop depot formulations made of polymers which are
attached covalently to opioids by photolabile linkers. The depots would be injected
subcutaneously by healthcare providers, for example, prior to discharge after a procedure. The
covalent linkers would render the depots difficult to tamper with, as the drug cannot be easily
removed from stolen devices by simple dissolution in organic solvents. Moreover, having been
injected into the body the formulations could not be diverted from patients. The covalent
bonding prevents the drug from being active even after injection, and the drug is only released
by irradiation – not polymer degradation. However, since the bonds are photolabile, the patient
would be able to release the drug with a simple handheld or wearable light source. This
approach would allow patients to determine the timing, intensity, and duration of analgesia
throughout the postoperative period.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10802746
- **Project number:** 1R21DA058120-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel S Kohane
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $267,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-15 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10802746

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10802746, Depot formulations for on-demand tamper- and diversion-proof delivery of opioids (1R21DA058120-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10802746. Licensed CC0.

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