Medicines that turn down the brain's opioid response to treat opioid addiction
Development of negative allosteric modulators of the mu-opioid receptor for the management of opioid use disorder
Developing a new kind of medicine that reduces opioid effects for people with opioid use disorder to lower relapse risk without acting like opioids or fully blocking the receptor.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Eleven Therapeutics Corp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Encintias, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11196065 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are designing drugs called negative allosteric modulators that 'dial down' the mu-opioid receptor rather than acting like opioid drugs or completely blocking the receptor. The team is testing candidate compounds in lab assays, safety screens (including mutagenicity and blood–brain barrier penetration), and animal models to pick the safest, brain-penetrant leads. The goal is a treatment that reduces opioid effects and relapse risk without causing withdrawal, respiratory depression, or being addictive. If a lead looks promising, the work would move toward the studies needed to test the drug in people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with opioid use disorder, especially those who struggle with relapse or cannot use or tolerate current options like methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone.
Not a fit: People who are already stable and well controlled on existing medications, those without opioid use disorder, or those seeking immediate opioid replacement for withdrawal management may not benefit from this work right away.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could offer a non-addictive treatment option that lowers opioid effects and relapse risk without causing withdrawal or severe respiratory side effects.
How similar studies have performed: This is a novel approach: related allosteric modulators have shown promise in laboratory and animal studies, but no MOR-negative allosteric modulator is yet approved for people.
Where this research is happening
Encintias, United States
- Eleven Therapeutics Corp — Encintias, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Traynor, John R. — Eleven Therapeutics Corp
- Study coordinator: Traynor, John R.
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 below.