The founding idea of a startup isn’t always the one that sticks. In the case of Madison-based Plumb Pharmaceuticals, the original intent was to develop a long-term pain management treatment for animals.
About 10 years later, Plumb is now looking at federal Food and Drug Administration approval for a drug delivery method that will help humans battling opioid addiction.
Founders Timothy Heath and Lisa Krugner-Higby have created a formula of liposomes that, when loaded with medication and injected under the skin, slowly releases medications. Plumb is currently loading the liposomes with naltrexone or buprenorphine — which curb cravings and block opioid receptors — but Heath and Krugner-Higby believe other medications, such as those for mental health conditions, can also be delivered through this process.
CEO Jacqueline Hind, who previously worked at startup Swallow Solutions and was brought on to manage timelines and fundraising for Plumb, said the growing opioid crisis in the U.S. was a central reason for the shift to a human-application of the method. Opioid addicts are most likely to relapse at the end of their medication cycle, she said, just before they go back for another injection. Read the full story here.
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