Cobenfy to help reduce cocaine use
Official title: Evaluation of the Combination Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor Drug Product Cobenfy as a Medication for Cocaine Use Disorder Using Translational Human and Rat Cocaine Choice Procedures
Funded at University of Kentucky · NIH-11274817 · Data updated 2026-11-12
People with cocaine use disorder will try the medication Cobenfy to see whether it helps them choose money instead of cocaine.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kentucky NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lexington, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $663,978 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DA064646-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11274817 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with diagnosed cocaine use disorder who are medically stable and willing to stay as inpatients for controlled cocaine-versus-money choice sessions would be eligible.
✕Less likely to help
People who are pregnant, have unstable medical or serious psychiatric conditions, significant heart disease, or who cannot or will not be inpatient or receive controlled IV cocaine are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
You would stay as an inpatient and be given Cobenfy or a placebo until the medication reaches steady levels, then take part in controlled sessions where you choose between small amounts of IV cocaine or money. The same choice procedures will be run in rats to compare effects across species and strengthen predictions for people. Cobenfy combines xanomeline (which acts on brain muscarinic receptors) with trospium (which reduces peripheral side effects) and is already FDA-approved for schizophrenia. Researchers will compare choices to determine whether the medication shifts preference away from cocaine toward non-drug rewards.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Cobenfy could help people with cocaine use disorder reduce their cocaine use and favor non-drug rewards, offering a new medication option.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies showed that xanomeline reduced cocaine-related behaviors, but testing Cobenfy in people for cocaine use disorder is a new clinical translation.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kentucky
Lexington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lile, Joshua Anthony — University of Kentucky
- Study coordinator: Lile, Joshua Anthony
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Modulating deep brain activity with focused ultrasound for cocaine use disorder
A study will test whether targeting a deep brain region with focused ultrasound can alter brain signals related to craving in people with cocaine use disorder.
-
Understanding how early life stress and cocaine exposure shape brain and behavior in adults
This project follows a long-running study in monkeys to see how early maltreatment and adolescent cocaine use influence brain circuits and risk of addiction in adulthood.
-
Psilocybin-Assisted ACT for Co-Occurring Cocaine Use Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder
A new treatment combines psilocybin with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people who have both cocaine use disorder and major depressive disorder.
-
Cholinergic Dysregulation and Cognitive Flexibility in Cocaine Use Disorder
A research study explores how cocaine changes brain signaling to affect flexible thinking and decision-making in people with cocaine use disorder.
-
Oligonucleotide therapy to help cocaine use disorder reach the brain
A new ASO-based approach aims to deliver gene-targeting therapy across the blood–brain barrier to help people with cocaine use disorder.
-
Accelerated TMS for Cocaine Use Disorder
A new, faster brain-stimulation treatment is being tested to help adults with cocaine use disorder reduce cravings and use.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.