FRI congratulates Dr. Karli Hochstatter and Talia Nadel for co-authoring a research letter published in JAMA. This study documents the rapid emergence of UV stabilizer Bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate (BTMPS) in the street fentanyl supply across the US. BTMPS belongs to a class of molecules called hindered amine light stabilizers that are used in plastics manufacturing and as adhesives or sealants. Of the 284 drug product samples tested in this study, 98 (35%) contained BTMPS. The amount of BTMPS in samples often exceeded the amount of fentanyl, sometimes by orders of magnitude. The reason for the introduction of BTMPS in street opioids remains unknown. This study included data from samples collected in Philadelphia and Puerto Rico through Dr. Hochstatter’s FRI-funded pilot project.

The article can be found here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2829939