High-Dose Medications for Opioid Use Disorder and Retention in Care
Official title: High-Dose Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Effects on Treatment Retention, Drug Use Patterns, and Overdose Risks Amidst the Fentanyl Crisis
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11422040 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether adjusted, higher-dose MOUD regimens can help people stay in treatment and reduce overdose risks during the fentanyl crisis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2025 |
| Project end | September 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $349,712 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CE003824-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422040 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with opioid use disorder who are on or considering medication-assisted treatment, particularly those with high fentanyl exposure or housing instability.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving MOUD or those unlikely to benefit from dosing adjustments may see little to no improvement.
What this research studies
If funded, researchers will compare MOUD dosing strategies informed by international data to see which approaches keep people engaged in treatment and reduce risky drug use and overdoses. They will use VIDUS cohort data from Canada and rich U.S. information to examine dosing, titration, and maintenance needs for people who use fentanyl. The study combines longitudinal behavioral data, urine drug screens, and administrative records to understand how dosing affects outcomes in real-world settings. The goal is to identify practical dosing approaches that can be tested further in real-world and clinical contexts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience better treatment retention and fewer overdose events through optimized MOUD dosing.
How similar studies have gone: Prior observational data suggest dosing strategies can influence retention, but formal evaluation of higher-dose regimens in the fentanyl era is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dong, Huiru — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Dong, Huiru
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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.