Could this polymer mesh be the answer to America's opioid epidemic?

A degradable polymer mesh that could help fight the opioid epidemic has been developed by researchers in Ohio.

Scientists at the University of Akron developed a degradable polymer mesh that contains a non-opioid pain medicine. Designed to be implanted in the body, the mesh releases the medicine after surgery and treats pain for three to four days.

The team at Akron is led by polymer science professor Matthew Becker, who became dismayed by how little opioids cost when his wife was prescribed them after surgery.

Last year, Becker’s research received a $2 million grant as part of Ohio state’s Third Frontier Commission effort to boost technological ways to fight the epidemic.  

Speaking about the issue, Becker said: “People are desperate for anything that will take chunks out of the problem. You have to control pain, and you can’t chop somebody open and send them home with Tylenol. Physicians would love to have a functional alternative [to opioids] for even a small subset of the population. Anything that would help.”

A key aspect of the mesh is that it doesn’t produce lactic acid, Becker says. Acid products are found in many polymer applications for human use and can cause inflammation which interferes with the delivery of the drug.  

New rules have been introduced in Ohio that limit the number of opioids doctors can prescribe. It’s estimated that between 21-29% of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them, and between 8-12% develop an opioid use disorder. More so, it’s estimated that 4-6% of those who misuse prescriptions opioids transition to heroin.

Becker founded the company 21MedTech to commercialise degradable polymer technologies for medical applications. The company has licensed the degradable polymer technology and plans to submit the device to the FDA by the end of the year.

The company and the University is Akron is now working with pharmaceutical company Merck on the mesh project.