NIDA Awards Grant of Up to $16.6M for Research on Investigational OUD Treatment

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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has awarded a grant of up to $16.6 million for the investigation of cebranopadol as a treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).

NIDA—which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—will distribute the funds over the course of 5 years to Tris Pharma Inc, developer of cebranopadol, in support of its preclinical through phase 2 studies of the drug as a treatment for OUD. Preclinical studies will assess cebranopadol’s ability to deter self-administration of Schedule II opioids and its effects on respiratory function when co-administered with Schedule II opioids. Clinical studies will then assess cebranopadol’s addictive potential and explore the dosages that are needed to block withdrawal and subjective effects of dependence on opioids.¹

Cebranopadol is an investigational, dual nociception/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor and an µ-opioid peptide (MOP) receptor agonist. It is the first and only full, dual NOP/MOP receptor agonist currently in clinical development. It received Fast Track Designation from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for chronic low back pain in 2017.¹

“Opioid overdose, misuse, and dependence have had a devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities, currently affecting an estimated 3 million Americans and accounting for $35 billion in US health care costs every year,” said Ketan Mehta, founder and chief executive officer at Tris Pharma, in a press release. “We are honored that NIDA has chosen to support the further development of cebranopadol as a potential new treatment to help address this complex, growing and costly global problem.”¹

Reference

1. Tris Pharma awarded five-year grant of up to $16.6M from the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse to advance cebranopadol for the treatment of opioid use disorder. BusinessWire. News release. August 28, 2023. Accessed August 30, 2023. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230828282884/en/Tris-Pharma-Awarded-Five-Year-Grant-of-Up-to-16.6M-From-the-NIHs-National-Institute-on-Drug-Abuse-to-Advance-Cebranopadol-for-the-Treatment-of-Opioid-Use-Disorder