In part one of this story on Elysium Therapeutics Inc., published Aug. 14, company officials explained the rationale and technology behind the plan to formulate a longer-lasting opioid-overdose rescue agent – one that remedies the problem of fentanyl rebound, or re-narcotization, which happens when the standard reverser wears off and the culprit drug stays active, potentially killing the patient.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a significant public health crisis, with over 5 million people diagnosed in the U.S. in 2023 and more than 80,000 fatal overdoses involving opioids each year. Current FDA-approved medications for OUD target the micro-opioid receptor, but these treatments are still associated with high relapse rates during abstinence.