Is “Blue to the Sky, Orange to the Thigh” Seeing the End?
During the first or second grade, remember when the teacher told everyone not to bring in any kind of food items for their birthdays? Alternatively, each student got crummy pencils and erasers from the Dollar store. Despite the hunger for saccharine cupcakes being unfulfilled, this precaution was taken to protect those who suffer from anaphylaxis – a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction which causes the body to go into shock. The most common case of anaphylaxis is found in peanut allergies.
EpiPens, containing the drug epinephrine, are used to help relieve the symptoms of a person in anaphylactic shock. Mylan, an American company, dominates the epinephrine market and is increasing the price of their iconic, patented product. As time passes, more and more families are unable to purchase EpiPens which also expire within a year.
Furthermore, according to a 2014 study by researchers at the University of Texas, only 16 percent of patients correctly administered their EpiPens. Overall, the needle was not injected deep enough into the thigh area to allow epinephrine to enter the bloodstream. Most people took the EpiPen out immediately, not keeping it in place for a recommended ten seconds.
At Nova Southeastern University in Florida, Dr. Mutasem Rawas-Qalaji believes that he has created a way to combat the flaws of the EpiPen. Rawas-Qalaji has designed an epinephrine tablets that dissolves at the base of the mouth. Since this area is rich in blood, the tablet would dissolve into the bloodstream. The tablets provide an alternative to patients who have difficulty swallowing or ingesting liquid medications. Moreover, Dr. Rawas-Qalaji finds great convenience in having small, portable tablets in comparison to the large EpiPen. He also states that his tablets could expire seven years later after their production date – an additional six years to Mylan’s EpiPens.
However,
s discovery comes with doubt – the actual tablet has yet to be tested. In addition, the possibility of swelling in the mouth or facial areas during an anaphylactic shock may render an individual incapable of using the tablet. The selling price of the tablets has also yet to be determined, as it depends on which manufacturer decides to mass produce this product.
Dr. Rawas-Qalaji is highly optimistic and he hopes to have his tablets approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Perhaps “Blue to sky, orange to the thigh” will cease to exist in the future.