Nutriband Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRB)(NASDAQ:NTRBW) announced it has received a Notice of Publication of the Registration and Grant of a Standard Patent from the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department for its AVERSA abuse-deterrent transdermal technology. The patent, titled "Abuse and Misuse Deterrent Transdermal Systems," was assigned Publication Number 40085268 B with a publication date of December 20, 2024.
The Hong Kong patent represents a significant expansion of Nutriband's intellectual property protection, bringing the total number of countries with patent coverage to 46, including the United States, Europe, Japan, Korea, Russia, China, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Hong Kong operates as a Special Administrative Region of China with its own distinct patent system and laws separate from mainland China.
AVERSA Technology Mechanism
Nutriband's AVERSA abuse-deterrent technology incorporates aversive agents into transdermal patches to prevent abuse, diversion, misuse, and accidental exposure of drugs with abuse potential, including opioids and stimulants. The technology employs a proprietary aversive agent coating that uses taste aversion to deter oral abuse and accidental exposure to transdermal patch products.
Preliminary studies have demonstrated that the coating is extremely difficult to scrape off, and the technology features a patented immediate and extended-release profile. This dual-release mechanism provides an additional deterrence layer, preventing the aversive coating from being easily washed off in attempts to separate the drug from the aversive agents.
Lead Product Development
The company is collaborating with Kindeva Drug Delivery, a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization specializing in drug-device combination products, to develop AVERSA Fentanyl. This lead product incorporates Nutriband's abuse-deterrent technology into Kindeva's FDA-approved transdermal fentanyl patch system.
AVERSA Fentanyl has the potential to become the world's first abuse-deterrent opioid patch specifically designed to deter abuse and misuse while reducing the risk of accidental exposure to transdermal fentanyl patches. According to a Health Advances market analysis report from 2022, AVERSA Fentanyl has the potential to reach peak annual US sales of $80 million to $200 million.
Clinical Significance
The AVERSA technology addresses a critical need in pain management by potentially improving the safety profile of transdermal drugs susceptible to abuse, particularly fentanyl, while ensuring these medications remain accessible to patients who legitimately require them for pain management. The technology's design specifically targets the prevention of abuse, diversion, misuse, and accidental exposure - key concerns in the current opioid crisis.
