"Our molecule is different in a way that it goes into your bloodstream. And what it does is like a Pac-Man molecule, it catches fentanyl before it reaches the target. So it intercepts it basically before it reaches the target," says chemist Carlos Valdez, Ph.D.
"I think that's the whole goal here is to, you know, be able to use this to prevent overdoses in a prophylactic way and also to be therapeutic. If you come across someone who has overdosed, you can also use this drug to sequester the panel and get it out of the body. Quicker," says Malfatti.
"The drug stays active for much longer than Narcan, preventing a potential relapse without a second dose. But since the drugs worked differently, the team believes there's even a potential to use them in combination. A powerful new weapon in an ongoing public health crisis."
"So that's where the lab kind of came in and was interested in is, you know, can we use this, you know, in, in a larger scenario which might be helpful for the general public as well as military use as well," Malfatti adds.
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