Creating a new pain treatment that reduces the need for opioids

Development of an Opioid Sparing Therapeutic to Minimize Opioid Use Disorderand Tolerance in the Treatment of Pain

NIH-funded research Amalgent Therapeutics, INC. · NIH-10760487

This study is exploring a new way to help people manage pain with less reliance on opioids by combining a safe medication called pramipexole with morphine, aiming to provide better pain relief while reducing the risk of addiction.

Quick facts

Grant typeSbir 2 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionAmalgent Therapeutics, INC. NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Greenville, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-10760487 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on developing a new therapeutic approach to manage pain while minimizing the use of opioids, which can lead to addiction and other serious side effects. The team is working on a combination treatment that includes the FDA-approved drug pramipexole alongside morphine to enhance pain relief. By using pramipexole, the goal is to lower the required dose of morphine, thus reducing the risk of opioid use disorder. The research involves both animal and human data to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this new treatment.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are individuals suffering from moderate to severe pain who are at risk of opioid use disorder.

Not a fit: Patients who do not experience pain or those who are already successfully managing their pain without opioids may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide patients with effective pain relief while significantly reducing the risk of opioid addiction.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown promising results with similar approaches, indicating potential for success in this novel treatment strategy.

Where this research is happening

Greenville, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.