Nutriband Inc. provided shareholders with updates following its 2026 Annual Shareholders Meeting, highlighting board appointments and key milestones in developing its abuse-deterrent fentanyl patch technology. The company appointed Alessandro Puddu and Viorica Carlig as new directors during the January 24 meeting in Orlando, Florida, while detailing progress on AVERSA Fentanyl, its lead product incorporating technology designed to prevent abuse, misuse, diversion, and accidental exposure of drugs with abuse potential.
During 2025, Nutriband strengthened its exclusive partnership with Kindeva Drug Delivery, completed commercial manufacturing scale-up for the patch, and expanded global patent protection including new U.S. and Macao patents. The company also engaged with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through a Type C meeting and advanced branding initiatives for AVERSA Fentanyl. These developments position the company to address the ongoing opioid crisis through technological innovation that could reduce prescription drug abuse.
Looking ahead to 2026, Nutriband plans to advance toward a New Drug Application filing by extending patent protection potentially to 2046, manufacturing clinical supplies, filing an Investigational New Drug application, and initiating a Human Abuse Liability clinical study. The company's progress represents a significant step in developing abuse-deterrent formulations that could impact public health by making powerful pain medications safer. Additional information about the company is available in its newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NTRB.
The development of abuse-deterrent technologies has gained importance as healthcare systems worldwide grapple with opioid misuse. Nutriband's transdermal patch approach using AVERSA technology represents one potential solution to this complex public health challenge. By incorporating deterrent mechanisms directly into the drug delivery system, such technologies aim to maintain therapeutic benefits for legitimate pain patients while reducing potential for abuse through extraction or manipulation of the medication.
As regulatory agencies increasingly emphasize abuse-deterrent properties in opioid approvals, companies developing such technologies may gain competitive advantages in the pharmaceutical market. Nutriband's progress through manufacturing scale-up and regulatory engagement suggests the company is advancing toward potential commercialization of its technology. The appointment of new directors with pharmaceutical experience further strengthens the company's leadership as it navigates the complex development pathway for controlled substance medications.
