Medicines to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms

Development of small molecule therapeutics for mitigating opioid withdrawal syndrome

['FUNDING_SBIR_2'] · EVODENOVO, INC. · NIH-11192820

This project aims to create new small-molecule medicines that target a brain receptor to help people with opioid use disorder have milder withdrawal symptoms.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_SBIR_2']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorEVODENOVO, INC. (nih funded)
Locations1 site (andover, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11192820 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

From a patient's view, the team is designing drug-like pills that act on a brain receptor called GPR139 which the company believes can reduce the negative effects of opioids without blocking pain relief. Scientists will use lab models of nerve cells, medicinal chemistry to make promising compounds, and opioid pharmacology tests to pick the best candidates. Work is led by a small biotech company with experts in genetics, receptor signaling, and drug design to move leads toward treatments. The project is currently preclinical and focused on finding safe, effective compounds that could later enter human trials.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Future trials would likely enroll adults with opioid use disorder who are experiencing withdrawal or seeking alternatives to current replacement therapies.

Not a fit: People who do not have opioid dependence or are only using opioids short-term for acute pain are unlikely to benefit from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, these medicines could lessen withdrawal severity and may lower relapse risk for people with opioid use disorder.

How similar studies have performed: Related strategies that separate opioid signaling pathways have shown promise in animal research, but targeting GPR139 is a novel approach that is largely untested in humans.

Where this research is happening

andover, 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.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 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.