17 Dec Aegis Sciences Corporation Collaborates with The McNabb Center to Evaluate the Impact of Xylazine Exposure on Opioid Withdrawal
NASHVILLE, TN. (December 17, 2024) – In April 2023, the White House designated the combination of fentanyl and xylazine as an emerging threat to the United States. Despite federal attention, xylazine, a drug not approved for human use that can increase certain effects and risks associated with opioid use, continues to permeate the drug supply throughout the US. Though testing for this substance to assist in treatment decisions has become more common, literature published on the effects of xylazine on withdrawal symptoms remains very limited.
Aegis Sciences Corporation and the McNabb Center began a collaboration around the time of the White House press release to further evaluate the impact of xylazine exposure on individuals seeking treatment for opioid-use disorder. Dr. Ryan Alexander, D.O., MPH, an addiction medicine physician and medical director for substance use disorder services at McNabb Center in Knoxville, TN, had begun to notice that standard opioid withdrawal management was becoming less effective at managing patients’ withdrawal symptoms. He had suspicions that based on how xylazine works in the body, it may be contributing to withdrawal symptoms that were additional to a patient’s opioid withdrawal. “As we started to learn how prevalent xylazine is in our region’s illicit drug supply I wanted to know if exposure to xylazine was affecting the clinical picture we were observing in patients being admitted for opioid withdrawal management who were not responding to standard treatment as expected.”
Aegis Sciences Corporation began testing for xylazine in urine and oral fluid specimens collected from individuals in treatment in healthcare settings in 2021. Aegis’ ability to identify recent use of both fentanyl and xylazine in individuals that were entering into treatment caught Dr. Alexander’s attention and led to discussions about a collaboration between his organization and Aegis Sciences Corporation. “I was incredibly excited to partner with Dr. Alexander to assist him in his clinical study,” said Dr. Josh Schrecker, Sr. Director of Clinical Affairs at Aegis Sciences Corporation. “While our laboratory understands the utility of testing to aid providers in determining recent use of non-prescription substances, partnering with the McNabb Center to expand the understanding of effective care management in our current drug use era was something I was excited to take part in.”
“Withdrawal Signs and Symptoms Among Patients Positive for Fentanyl With and Without Xylazine” was published online by the Journal of Addiction Medicine in early December. Dr. Alexander identified individuals with a history of high-risk opioid use for the study and collected urine for broader definitive testing to be performed by Aegis. In doing so, he was able to compare clinical and treatment characteristics of two distinct groups of individuals entering treatment (those who had recently used fentanyl and those who had recently used a combination of fentanyl and xylazine). Rates of co-use of fentanyl and xylazine were found to be significantly higher than previously reported in the region, and individuals that had recently been exposed to both drugs were more likely have self-directed discharge, meaning they were unable to complete treatment. “The ongoing opioid epidemic is still a significant challenge across the country, particularly in the East Tennessee region. If the addition of xylazine to the illicit opioid supply is clinically relevant for withdrawal management, we need to be prepared to treat it.”
Health care practitioners can learn more about Aegis testing at: https://www.aegislabs.com/services/novel-psychoactive-substances/
About Aegis Sciences Corporation
Founded in 1990, Aegis Sciences Corporation is a laboratory sciences company based in Nashville, Tenn., that provides science-driven testing and consulting services for clients such as health care providers, pharmaceutical companies, professional and amateur sports organizations, leading college and university athletic programs, Fortune 500 corporations, and government agencies throughout the United States.
About The McNabb Center
The McNabb Center is the region’s leading nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, social and victim services. By focusing on an individual’s “Well Mind, Well Being,” they provide a quality and compassionate approach to care from infancy through adulthood. Since 1948, the Center has proudly served individuals with the most needs and fewest resources. Today, the McNabb Center delivers support to more than 45,000 people throughout East Tennessee each year.
