Creating a new pain treatment that reduces the need for opioids
Official title: Development of an Opioid Sparing Therapeutic to Minimize Opioid Use Disorderand Tolerance in the Treatment of Pain
Funded at Amalgent Therapeutics, INC. · NIH-10760487 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Amalgent Therapeutics, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Greenville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $2,579,875 |
| NIH project number | 1R44DA059302-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10760487 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals suffering from moderate to severe pain who are at risk of opioid use disorder.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not experience pain or those who are already successfully managing their pain without opioids may not benefit from this research.
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.
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 gone: Previous research has shown promising results with similar approaches, indicating potential for success in this novel treatment strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Amalgent Therapeutics, INC.
Greenville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meyn, Malcolm a — Amalgent Therapeutics, INC.
- Study coordinator: Meyn, Malcolm a
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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.