Dr. Xue’s Research

Clinically Translatable Opioid Depots for On-Demand Pain Relief

Abstract: Opioids remain important medicines for treating pain, but take-home opioid pills can be misused, diverted, or taken in unsafe amounts. Existing long-acting opioid formulations can reduce repeated pill use, but they release drug continuously and cannot adjust to changing pain needs, such as breakthrough pain after surgery or during prolonged recovery. This project will develop an injectable opioid depot that is administered under the skin by a health care provider and releases opioid only when activated by an external light source. Because the opioid is sequestered in the depot until triggered, this approach could reduce access to free opioid while allowing pain relief when it is needed.

The proposed studies will improve the reliability, duration, and practicality of this light-triggered opioid depot. We will optimize the formulation to reduce unintended background release, improve the reproducibility of repeated triggered analgesia, extend depot responsiveness over several days after a single injection, and develop a near-infrared light-triggered version designed for more practical activation through tissue. If successful, this work could provide a safer, adjustable approach to opioid pain treatment while reducing opportunities for misuse, tampering, and diversion.