Press Release: CDC Launches Fentanyl Dashboard Utilizing Data from the Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC) to Monitor Nonfatal Overdose Trends

Phoenix, AZ, June 09, 2023 -- Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, has emerged as a significant public health concern across the United States, contributing to a surge in overdose-related fatalities. In response to this growing crisis, the CDC has collaborated with ToxIC, a multicenter research network led by physicians specializing in medical toxicology, to develop a comprehensive toxico-surveillance dashboard that captures real-time data on nonfatal overdoses involving fentanyl. The new dashboard, “Fentalog Study: A Subset of Nonfatal Suspected Opioid-Involved Overdoses with Toxicology Testing” went live in May of 2023.

The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC) Fentanyl Analog Study, also known as the Fentalog Study, is a five-year initiative (2020-2025) conducted through a National Institute on Drug Abuse RO1 grant (NIDA R01DA048009) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. It examines the clinical effects of fentanyl analogs among suspected opioid overdoses and utilizes ToxIC's extensive network of healthcare facilities to aggregate and analyze nonfatal overdose data.

The ToxIC Fentalog Study collects data from 10 geographically diverse hospitals in 9 states to identify risk factors and evaluate optimal treatments for nonfatal overdoses involving fentanyl, fentalogs, illicit benzodiazepines, and adulterants (such as xylazine). Now in its 4th year, the study has over 1300 cases that are utilized to characterize synthetic opioids used, evaluate treatments, and track regional trends in fentalog overdoses.

The CDC provides supplemental funding to increase the study's laboratory testing capacity. By harnessing this data in its new Fentalog Study dashboard, the CDC aims to gain critical insights into the patterns and trends of fentanyl-related nonfatal overdoses, including geographical distribution, demographic characteristics, co-occurring substances, and clinical outcomes.

According to Dr. Alex Manini, the Principal Investigator on the study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, “Our data shows the illicit drug supply has changed dramatically since we started the study in 2020. Our study sites aren't seeing many heroin overdoses anymore. Most illicit opioid overdoses involve fentanyl, which is much more deadly than heroin, and approximately half of these patients have a stimulant such as cocaine or methamphetamine in their system as well, which significantly contributes to the severity of the overdose."

For more information, and to view quarterly toxicology testing reports released by the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE), please visit the ToxIC Fentanyl Analog Study webpage.

The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) is a professional, nonprofit association of physicians with recognized expertise and board certification in medical toxicology. Our members specialize in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, and monitoring of injury and illness from exposures to drugs and chemicals, as well as biological and radiological agents. ACMT members work in clinical, academic, governmental, and public health settings, and provide poison control center leadership.

The Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC) is a multicenter toxicosurveillance and research network that detects new drugs of abuse, monitors adverse effects of post-marketing medications, and identifies emerging toxicological threats. Led by medical toxicology physicians and registry experts, our projects involve case registry design and maintenance.