New multi-action medicines to help prevent early labor
Official title: Novel Designed Multi-Ligands as Tocolytics for Dysregulated Myometrial Pathways in the Treatment of Preterm Labor
Funded at University of Nevada Reno · NIH-11164814 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Developing combined drugs that aim to calm uterine contractions in pregnant people at risk of preterm birth while keeping drug exposure to the baby low.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Reno NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Reno, United States) |
| Project start | August 8, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $183,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R21HD112011-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11164814 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people who are at risk of going into labor too early or who have early contractions would be the likely candidates for future clinical testing.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant or those already in active, advanced labor may not benefit from these treatments.
What this research studies
Researchers are designing 'multi-ligand' medicines that act on several pathways in the uterus to stop contractions that lead to preterm birth. The team will make these compounds in the lab and test them on human uterine tissue samples and in animal models to see how well they stop contractions and how much crosses the placenta. They will also compare the combined multi-ligand drugs to their individual components to look for stronger, synergistic effects. The goal is to find treatments that delay labor longer than current options while reducing fetal exposure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these drugs could prevent some preterm births by stopping early labor for longer periods while reducing drug exposure to the fetus.
How similar studies have gone: Existing tocolytic medicines are off-label and offer only short-term benefit, and creating multi-ligand tocolytics is a novel approach that has not yet been proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nevada Reno
Reno, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barnett, Scott Danielson — University of Nevada Reno
- Study coordinator: Barnett, Scott Danielson
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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.