Developed Under a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Contract

The patented Deterra^® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System was developed under two Small Business Innovation Research contracts from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Titled “In-home Deactivation System for Psychoactive Drugs,” the award information may be found here:

• Contract N43DA-13-4420 (Phase 1)
• Contract N44DA-14-4420 (Phase 2)

During development, the proprietary activated carbon that powers the Deterra System was rigorously tested by independent, third-party researchers at Mercer University’s College of Pharmacy. Testing shows Deterra’s activated carbon is highly effective at firmly binding to the active ingredients in prescription and over the counter medications, rendering them inert, unavailable for misuse and safe for disposal in the normal trash.

Research conducted under the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) contract found the activated carbon in Deterra to be highly effective in adsorbing and deactivating pharmaceuticals. The research also found that 95% of consumers had no difficulty using the Deterra Pouch, with 96% of respondents using the Deterra Pouch within 4 weeks of receiving it.

A study published in Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy found an average of 98.72% of medications were adsorbed by activated carbon within 8 hours and continued to do so over time. At the end of the 28-day study, more than 99.99% of all drugs were deactivated.

Research published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis examined the deactivation efficiency of the Deterra System and found more than 99% drug deactivation achieved after 24 hours.

A study published in Pharmaceutics tested the deactivation efficiency of Deterra System with three model psychoactive drugs. By the end of 28 days, over 99% of all drugs were deactivated.

A study published in Pharmaceutical Research found that deactivation systems containing activated carbon are promising for efficient, safe and environment friendly disposal of unused and expired medications.

Mercer University researchers conducted third-party testing of the Deterra System to evaluate the effectiveness of activated carbon in deactivating pills, capsules, patches, liquids, creams and films. Their results are shown in the below poster presentations prepared for the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS).

Deactivation of Psychoactive Drugs Using an Activated Carbon-based Drug Disposal System

This study demonstrated Deterra successfully deactivated alprazolam, dextroamphetamine, lorazepam and temazepam.

Activated Carbon-based Disposal of Fentanyl Transdermal Patches

Researchers found the Deterra Pouch successfully deactivated fentanyl and did not release the adsorbed drug upon attempts at extraction.

Development and Validation of a Reverse Phase-HPLC Method for Methylphenidate and its Disposal using Activated Charcoal-based System

Researchers tested the efficiency of the Deterra Drug Deactivation System and found it successfully deactivated methylphenidate.

Activated Carbon-based Disposal of Model Psychoactive Medications

Researchers examined Deterra’s ability to deactivate buprenorphine, diazepam, fluoxetine, morphine and oxycodone. They concluded Deterra successfully deactivated adsorbed these medications and the drugs could not be extracted from the carbon.

Comparison of Adsorbents for Development of Disposal Kits for Solid Oral Dosage Forms

This study demonstrated activated carbon to be significantly more effective in deactivating amoxicillin and dexamethasone as compared to cat litter or coffee grounds.

Development of a Disposal System for Deactivation of Transdermal Patches of Fentanyl

Researchers found activated carbon was effective in deactivating more than 90% of the fentanyl content of transdermal patches.

This study examines Deterra’s ability to deactivate several model drugs and compares the results to those obtained by utilizing ingredients recommended in federal guidelines. On average, Deterra performed more than four times better than the other adsorbents in deactivating amoxicillin, dexamethasone, diphenhydramine, Effexor XR, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, generic Percocet and generic Vicodin.

This study demonstrated the ability of Deterra’s proprietary carbon to retain adsorbed drugs under simulated landfill conditions by using the sample pre-treatment recommendations and the acidic extraction solution designated in the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure.”

This study indicates that Deterra will retain adsorbed drugs when exposed to the state of California’s Waste Extraction Testing (WET) conditions.

• Our technology is protected by 13 U.S. patents and 35 international patents and cannot be replicated by others.
• Developed under a federal contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Deterra has been independently tested and proven to deactivate drugs.

• We don’t just mask medications in a gel or liquid; our patented approach completely destroys pills, patches, liquids, creams and films.
• Deterra is the only carbon-based product that contains sufficient activated carbon to deactivate the amount of medication per label claims.

The Deterra System is the only solution for safe, permanent medication disposal. The simple, three-step process permanently deactivates ingredients and renders medications inert so they can’t be accidentally ingested, stolen, abused or leeched into our ecosystem. Deterra’s patented products are simple, safe and can be used at home or in a clinical setting.